Three times when Sasuke didn’t kiss Naruto
by kally77
Summary: Three times Sasuke messed up, and one time he and Naruto finally got it right. SasuNaruSasu, spoilers for manga, now complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Three times when Sasuke didn't kiss Naruto, and one time when he did**

_Rating: T_

_Disclaimer: I don't own, you don't sue._

_Pairing: NaruSasu. Or SasuNaru. Or both. However you want to see it._

_AN: One shot fic written for Kantayra because she rocks and she won the challenge, darn it. A sequel might come. Possibly. We'll see. Feedback always appreciated. Flames will be used to roast marshmallows._

_**ETA: OK, never mind the one shot thing. Chapter 2 is up and more will be forthcoming.**_

_**...**_

"So you're not just a loser. You're a pervert too."

Naruto shrieked and scrambled back from the bush behind which he had been crouching. Sasuke crossed his arms and glared down at him. They were supposed to be picking those damn weeds. Couldn't Naruto do his share rather than spy on the daughter of their client and her boyfriend?

"I wasn't…" Naruto stammered. "I thought I heard…" He jumped to his feet and glared back at Sasuke. "I was practicing my infiltration skills! Have you ever heard of stealth?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Did you _hear_ me sneak up on you?"

Naruto blushed brightly, the color clashing with his just as horribly bright jumper. Why he thought he could train for infiltration while wearing bright orange, Sasuke couldn't fathom.

"Of course I heard you," he claimed, lying through his teeth. "I just didn't want to make you feel bad about your skills."

"My skills," Sasuke said icily, his eyes narrowing in anger, "are a thousand times better than yours, dead last."

"Ah! You wish, bastard! You could never sneak up on me."

Sasuke struggled not to hit the idiot over the head. It would only be a waste of his time. "I just _did_, you—"

"Do you two plan on helping Sakura anytime soon?"

Behind Naruto, Kakashi barely glanced up from his book to look at them. With a suppressed sigh, Sasuke pushed past Naruto and returned to the cursed field they were supposed to work in. He was tired of these stupid D-rank missions that didn't teach him anything. At his age, Itachi—

He stomped on that line of thought as soon as it emerged. It never helped anything. He started pulling at the weeds with renewed vigor. The faster they were done here, the more time he would have for actual training afterwards.

"You could never sneak up on me," Naruto repeated from a few feet to his left, glancing up from his task with a cocky smile Sasuke would have loved to wipe off his face.

"Want to bet?" Sasuke said, practically growling, and immediately regretted it when Naruto's face lit up with a wide grin.

"You're on! I bet that you won't be able to sneak up on me before the end of the day. The loser treats the winner to ramen tomorrow!"

Sasuke couldn't have cared less about ramen, but an occasion to humiliate Naruto yet again was too good to pass. "Done."

For the rest of the morning, Sasuke superbly ignored Naruto, who kept an eye on him at all times. When they returned to the village, Naruto walked behind him, snickering every so often that Sasuke would lose. Sasuke continued to ignore him. That afternoon, he trained on his own as he had planned to do, and caught a glimpse of Naruto. He was hiding in a tree and observing Sasuke train, probably thinking that it would be impossible for Sasuke to sneak up on him if he knew where he was. Sasuke merely trained harder. He returned home as night was falling, Naruto following him at a distance and staying outside the house until Sasuke had turned off all the lights. Naruto was grumbling under his breath as he returned home, hands shoved deep in his pockets. Apparently, he was both convinced that Sasuke had forgotten all about their bet and unaware that he was being followed.

Sasuke posted himself on a roof across the street from Naruto's apartment and watched him have dinner then prepare for bed. He waited for a little longer after that, until snoring drifted out of the window. One jump took him across the street. As silent as though his life had depended on it, he slid in through the open window and approached the bed.

Naruto was wearing a ridiculous night hat and holding a pillow to him with both arms and legs. Snickering inwardly, Sasuke came closer. He was going to shout in his ear and teach him a lesson. What idiot left his window open and went to bed unguarded when he knew an enemy was coming? He leaned down toward Naruto's ear, but just then Naruto turned his face toward him. Taken by surprise, Sasuke moved back, but not quite fast enough. Their lips just brushed against each other. Naruto made a small moaning noise. Still as a statue, Sasuke held his breath, certain that he would wake now. Instead, Naruto flipped over onto his stomach and started snoring again. Sasuke took a step back, then another, and left the apartment the same way he had come.

The next day, when Naruto, exulting, ordered a third helping of ramen, Sasuke was still wondering if he had imagined it all, or if Naruto had really said his name when their lips had touched.

_**...**_

Sasuke had done it. He had won. At his feet, Naruto was unconscious, defenseless, beaten. Next to him, the scratch on Sasuke's forehead protector was a testament to how hard they had fought, but in the end all of Naruto's efforts hadn't been enough. All Sasuke needed to do was finish it. And he would. In just a minute, when he was done savoring the moment, he would. He just wasn't quite sure where the bitterness that tainted his victory came from.

Pain lanced through his body. His knees gave in and he fell, catching himself before he fell on Naruto. Just inches from him, Naruto's eyes were closed, his mouth just barely open, and he remained oblivious to the now heavy rain falling on them, oblivious to the danger, to Sasuke's pain and tears.

"You idiot," Sasuke murmured. "Why did you have to come after me?"

Naruto didn't move. Sasuke wondered whether, behind his closed eyelids, his eyes were still blood-red, or blue again. He wondered whether he still had fangs. He wondered what had happened to him, and where he had found this strange strength to fight.

He wondered also why part of him felt disappointed, almost betrayed that Naruto had not managed to stop him. He wondered why he still hadn't killed him. He had to, if he wanted to be able to kill Itachi, some day. He had to. He just didn't know if he could do it anymore, not after Naruto had said…

Very slowly, he lowered his face toward Naruto's. He tried not to think about what he was doing. This hardly was how he had imagined it, but it was his last chance. Their mouths were millimeters apart now, and he could feel Naruto's shallow breathing against his lips. If they ever met again—

Somewhere nearby, a branch cracked. Sasuke's head snapped up. He couldn't see anything, but he had no doubt someone was coming. He pushed himself to his feet and tried not to look back as he left.

_**...**_

The first few weeks, Sasuke had been on his guards constantly, expecting Naruto to barge into Orochimaru's lair at any time of the day or night. He had tried not to be disappointed when he hadn't come.

After four months, he had stopped waiting for him and started training twice as hard.

Six more months, and most days passed without him thinking of Konoha or anyone there.

But for almost three years, the same dream resurfaced every few nights—dream or nightmare depending on how it ended—in which he and Naruto replayed their last fight. Sometimes Naruto won, and dragged him back to the village. Sometimes, Sasuke did, and this time he finished the job. Never, though, did anyone over than Naruto show up to bring him back in his dreams, not Sakura, not Kakashi, not ANBU. That was how he knew it wasn't a dream, this time. That, and in the dream Naruto was still a kid. He wasn't anymore, Sasuke realized with a pang as he observed him. Neither of them was.

Hurtful words flung from a distance didn't seem to deter Naruto. Sasuke's only hope was to act fast, and not think of what he was doing. He jumped down and felt a thrill at being so close to him again after all this time. If only they had been alone…

He knew he wouldn't kill Naruto this time either as soon as that boy—his _replacement_—stopped his sword. Killing the boy, on the other hand, was more appealing with every passing second. He seemed to know too much about them; that could only mean that Naruto confided in him. The thought had fire and ice running through Sasuke's veins.

When they attacked him, he lashed out by pure reflex. Seeing red take over Naruto's eyes brought back memories along with curiosity. It wasn't a good idea to leap into his head, not when three more enemies surrounded him, but Sasuke couldn't resist. He would just take a peek, just to see why Naruto was there and maybe—

He discovered something else altogether, something that explained a lot while raising many more questions. He had wanted to be alone with Naruto, though, so he sent the demon packing without trying to get answers. When the Kyuubi warned him against killing Naruto, he almost laughed. He had known he'd regret killing him since their first real fight. That the demon would know it too however rattled him, and he leapt out again without saying another word to Naruto. He didn't care for an audience, be it in the flesh or purely in their minds.

Another time, maybe—though deep down, he hoped there wouldn't be a next time. He wasn't sure how much of him would be left, then. He wasn't sure Naruto would escape one more encounter with his life.

_**...**_

"So what did you think of granny Tsunade?"

From the corner of his eye, Naruto observed Sasuke, waiting for a reaction. Sasuke hadn't said a word since they had left the Fifth's office, and his expression had remained the same impassible mask Naruto had learned to hate. Even now, his only answer was a noncommittal little noise.

"She's pretty strict," Naruto continued, thinking of the conditions Tsunade had placed on Sasuke's return to the village. "But if we annoy her enough, she'll cave in, you'll see. We can't stay genin forever."

The rhythm of Sasuke's steps broke before starting again, slow and measured. Naruto expected him to ask why he was still a genin at his age. Instead, Sasuke said:

"She only forbade _me_ to take the exam."

Naruto linked his hands behind his head. "Right. Because I'd take the exam on my own." He snorted. "It's a team thing, remember, idiot?"

"Who are you calling an idiot, dead last?"

The insult was familiar enough that Naruto wanted to smile. The tone, however, lacked…something. It was almost as though Sasuke was playing along to indulge him. The hell with that. If he didn't mean it, Naruto wasn't going to respond.

"Anyway," he continued as though Sasuke hadn't said a word, "where would be the fun in beating kids? I want at least one real opponent."

A few seconds passed before Sasuke answered, his voice perfectly blank. "It'd be interesting to see how it would end this time."

Naruto forced out a laugh that rang false to his own ears. "Without forbidden techniques you mean?"

"And without the Kyuubi."

The demon stirred inside Naruto at the mention of its name, but it didn't try to come forward. It had been strangely subdued ever since they had brought Sasuke back home, always present, of course, but observing from afar.

An owl hooted above them. Naruto looked up. The moon was high in the sky, the thick crescent giving enough light to make the street almost as clear as in daylight. It also made Sasuke's too pale skin seem to glow, attracting Naruto's eyes until he forced himself to look away. He hadn't realized it was so late. The meeting with Tsunade and those damn Elders had taken much longer than he had thought. At least the streets were deserted now, and no one was left to stare and glare at Sasuke like had happened when they had arrived in the village. Sasuke hadn't seemed to mind or even notice, but Naruto had needed to keep a tight grip on himself not to lash out at the gawking crowd.

Sasuke stopped walking as they crossed an intersection. Naruto took a couple more steps before he noticed and looked back at him.

"What's wrong?"

Sasuke tilted his head toward the street on the right. "My home's that way. I'll see you tomorrow."

Naruto glanced in the direction of what had been the Uchiha compound, suddenly uncomfortable. He wished Tsunade hadn't forgotten to mention this, leaving it up to him to break the news. "Well, about that…" He scratched his head, wondering how to say it. "See, you kinda don't really have a home anymore."

He looked back at Sasuke. The difference between a blank expression and an icy one was minute, but he knew Sasuke enough to notice. Somehow, that realization made him happy, even with the flash of red coloring Sasuke's eyes for a split second.

"What does that mean, I don't have a home?"

"The Uchiha compound was… confiscated, I guess. They said you betrayed Konoha and…"

Naruto shrugged. Seconds trickled by in silence.

"I see," Sasuke said at last, back to blankness.

"We can talk to Tsunade about that too," Naruto said quickly. "And in the meantime, you can live with me."

Sasuke remained still as marble. Naruto shrugged again and tried to look bored.

"You heard her, I'm supposed to keep an eye on you. It'll be easier if I don't have to hunt you down all the time."

The ghost of a smile touched Sasuke's lips. "Finally tired of running after me?"

Naruto rolled his eyes and thrust his hands in his pockets. "There wasn't a chance in hell of that happening."

He turned on his heel and started again. After a few seconds, Sasuke had caught up with him. They didn't speak again until they had reached Naruto's apartment.

"It's small," Naruto said, apologetic, as he ushered Sasuke in and watched him look around with an unreadable expression. "I bet you're used to—"

"You haven't changed a bit," Sasuke cut in, stepping over to the dresser. He picked up the picture frame and examined it. "You still talk too much."

"At least _I_ talk," Naruto shot back. "Unlike certain other people in here."

Sasuke put down the picture and walked back toward him. His fists closed. He frowned. Naruto tensed, instinctively preparing for yet another fight. This was exactly how Sasuke had looked at him when he had found him again, five days earlier—like Naruto was an annoying fly that kept buzzing in his face, something to get rid of. Well, Sasuke hadn't gotten rid of him then, and if he thought he would do it now, he had something else coming his way. Naruto had worked too hard to bring him back, sacrificed too much, and—

"Do you remember the Valley of the End? Our first time there?"

Naruto blinked. Was that Sasuke's subtle way to remind him he had had the opportunity to kill him?

"What about it?" he asked defiantly.

Sasuke's eyes flickered to the side before coming back to him. Naruto had become so used to the sharingan that he had forgotten how dark Sasuke's eyes were.

"You said I was like your brother."

Naruto frowned, taken aback. "I did."

"Do you still think that?"

The intensity of Sasuke's stare was beginning to unravel Naruto's composure. He forced a chuckle from his throat and sidestepped past Sasuke. A minute earlier, he had complained that Sasuke didn't talk enough, but now he wished they'd go to sleep and stop the conversation. He knelt by his bed and hunted beneath it for box of spare blankets he kept there.

"I'm not sure it's safe to be your brother," he joked, regretting the words as soon as they passed his lips. "I think I'd rather be your teammate. And your friend."

He stood, a couple of blankets in his hands. When he turned, he found himself practically nose to nose with Sasuke. He gasped. He hadn't heard or felt him come closer.

"Friend," Sasuke repeated, nodding approvingly. "That works. It'd be too disturbing to do this if you still thought of me as a brother."

Before Naruto could ask what he meant, Sasuke moved forward, bumping into him, forcing him back against the edge of the bed.

"What—"

The blankets hit the floor with barely more than a whisper. Naruto didn't notice. It was hard to notice anything when Sasuke's hand was in the center of his chest, pushing him down onto the bed with unexpected gentleness.

"What are you—"

Eyes wide and heart pounding, he watched Sasuke climb onto the bed, one knee on either side of him. Sasuke leaned down, resting on his forearms until their faces were no more than an inch apart. His eyes were gleaming. Naruto licked his lips nervously.

"What are you doing?" he squeaked.

"I told you. You talk too much."

And then, Naruto couldn't talk anymore, because firm lips were pressing against his own, gently moving and coaxing his mouth open. Above him, Sasuke's eyes had closed. Naruto blinked twice then closed his eyes as well. He swallowed hard and parted his lips, just a little, just to see what would happen. Sasuke's tongue caressed his bottom lip before sliding in to press against his tongue. Tentatively, Naruto returned the touch, pressing harder against Sasuke's tongue and following it as it retreated. Not fully aware of what he was doing, he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. Sasuke let out a little strangled sound that might have been a moan, and Naruto decided to see if he could make him moan again.

Between them, Sasuke's fingers tugged his zipper down his chest then traced the narrow expanse of skin back to Naruto's neck, pausing only briefly to circle around the pendant. Dazed, Naruto could have sworn Sasuke was using some kind of technique on him. Why else would his skin felt like it was burning everywhere Sasuke touched him, why else—

His eyes snapped open in horror. Breaking the kiss, he pushed Sasuke off him and to the side of the bed. He scrambled up to the headboard and grabbed the pillow. He held it protectively in front of him, hiding the tenting in his pants. His heart felt like it was ready to break free from his chest and his cheeks burned in embarrassment.

"Hmm. I thought you were enjoying this."

Naruto dared a glance up at Sasuke. He had sit up on the bed, his legs crossed, and was frowning. He looked mildly frustrated. Naruto's blush only deepened when his eyes slid down and despite the ample cut of his pants, it was obvious that Sasuke shared his not so little problem.

"We…you…" he stammered. "It's not—"

Lightning-fast, Sasuke reached forward and pulled the pillow from his arms before dropping it on the floor. "You _did_ enjoy it," he said, now accusing, before Naruto could cover his erection. "So what's the problem?"

"What's… the problem?" Naruto gestured between the two of them frantically, at a loss for words. "I… You…"

Sasuke's frown only deepened. "Isn't that why you kept coming after me?"

"Of course not!" Naruto said without thinking.

Sasuke's face closed off, returning to the blank mask from earlier, but not before a flash of hurt passed through his eyes. A pang coursed through Naruto. In all those years, he had never felt as close to losing Sasuke as he now did. In all those years, he had never imagined that Sasuke could feel this way toward him. He hadn't dared to imagine it.

"I mean…" He slowly shifted forward, resting onto his hands and knees and inching down the bed back toward Sasuke. "I never thought… I just wanted you back, you know." Any closer now and he would touch Sasuke. He didn't feel quite up to it yet. "I never thought about what would happen _after_," he finished in a murmur.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at him. "You didn't think. Why am I not surprised, dobe?"

Naruto ignored the sarcasm, recognizing that it was nothing more than a defensive move. "Is that… Is that why you came back?"

Crossing his arms, Sasuke turned his face to the window and glared at the night. "What if it was?"

Naruto leaned forward. He pressed his lips a bit awkwardly to the corner of Sasuke's mouth. "I think… I think I'd like that."

This time, when Sasuke tried to tackle him to the bed, he was ready. Using his momentum, he rolled their bodies so that he was on top, pinning Sasuke down with his legs and arms.

"Gotcha," he said, grinning a little hesitantly.

Sasuke smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Three times when Sasuke had a nightmare, and one time when Naruto was there**

_Rating: T_

_Disclaimer: I don't own, you don't sue._

_Pairing: NaruSasu. Or SasuNaru. Or both. However you want to see it._

_AN: I guess it was more than a one-shot fic after all. And I'm pretty sure there'll be more because the bunnies are rabid. Thank you very much to everyone who cared enough to review the first part. And double thanks to Kantayra for the betaing._

…

Sasuke's eyelids started drooping. Alarmed, he opened his eyes wide again and rocked his body back and forth, hitting the wall behind him and pushing back. Only a couple more hours, he told himself. In a couple of hours, the sun would rise, and soon after that it would be time to go to the Academy. He tightened his arms around his knees and tried not to look at the bed – the empty bed, the so tempting bed in the center of the room.

He couldn't go back to sleep. He knew what would happen if he did. He'd be back in that room, back in front of his parents and… _him_. He didn't want to dream about it anymore. He wanted happy dreams, the kind where his mom prepared his favorite food and his dad taught him a new technique and his brother…

Tears welled up in his eyes and Sasuke closed them tight rather than let himself cry again. It had been weeks. He couldn't cry anymore. Tears were for small children, and so were nightmares. If his dad had been there, he would have told him as much. He would have been disappointed.

Sasuke stilled, then very deliberately rose to his feet. He wiped his eyes dry – it wasn't really crying if the tears never rolled down his cheeks. He returned to his bed and lay down. He took a deep breath in and clenched his fists before closing his eyes.

No more nightmares, he promised himself. He'd be all right now.

And for the rest of the night, he was.

The nightmare returned the next night.

…

There was no spark of anything in Itachi's eyes. No recognition, no affection, no hatred. Nothing. He stopped Sasuke's attack and flung him away from him with barely a second look before turning his attention back to Naruto.

Sasuke attacked again, and again was summarily thrown back to a wall. He heard the crack a split second before he became aware of the pain. He fell down and immediately tried to get back to his feet. The pain didn't matter. He had to fight. He had to avenge—

A deafening roar washed over him, and a wave of pure chakra made him stumble once more. His ears buzzing, he looked up. His eyes widened in shock.

"No!"

His leg screamed with each step he took toward them. He held himself upright by keeping a hand against the wall. He shouted again, fury and pain and grief all mixing into one overwhelming wave of rage.

"No! That's not how it was supposed to go!"

Neither of them answered.

Itachi lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling through black eyes. Blood drenched his chest, darkening the cloud on his coat.

Just feet away, Naruto lay face down, blood spreading on the floor beneath him, He'd never been so still.

"No!"

His hands clenched on the hospital sheet and he woke up, pain shooting through him. Long, agonizing seconds passed before he remembered. It hadn't ended like that. Neither of them was dead. Naruto hadn't stolen his vengeance. Itachi hadn't taken his teammate.

All that had happened was that Sasuke had been weak. Too weak to kill Itachi. Too weak to even catch his attention for more than a few seconds.

Naruto on the other hand…

He gritted his teeth. Naruto couldn't be stronger than he was. It had just been luck. An accident. If Sasuke had just taken his time, if he hadn't rushed without thinking, it would have all been different.

Next time, it _would_ be different.

…

A flash of orange slashed with red caught the corner of his eye, and Sasuke shouted a warning. No sound came out of his mouth. Without his consent, his lips curved into what had to be a cruel grin and his hands rose, forming seals so fast he barely knew what they were. Again, he tried to warn Naruto, and again nothing happened. Sasuke could only watch, and hope. The flames surrounded Naruto, charring the ground and the wall behind him. He emerged from the blaze wrapped in undulating layers of red chakra. His eyes gleamed, as crimson as fresh blood. His grimace bared his teeth and fangs.

"You're coming back with me, Sasuke!" he roared, his chakra only intensifying further.

A laugh rose from Sasuke's throat even when Sasuke wanted to yell at him for being so incredibly stupid. So unexpectedly tenacious. So blind.

"I'm afraid not, Naruto-kun," Sasuke heard his voice say. "You're too late for Sasuke."

Orochimaru's laugh only seemed to deepen as Sasuke raged inside what wasn't his body anymore. Mere feet away, the Kyuubi's chakra vanished from around Naruto in the blink of an eye. He stared at what had been Sasuke, pure grief etched on his features.

"Too late?" he mumbled. "I was too late. Sasuke… I'm sorry…"

Yet again, Sasuke wanted to shout at him. Now wasn't the time to just stand there and grieve. He had to save himself. He had to—

Orochimaru formed seals again. Sasuke yelled—

—and woke up panting, eyes wide and unseeing. For long minutes, he stared into the near darkness, listening to his thundering heart. He couldn't hear anything else, no noise outside his room. That was good. That had to mean he had only shouted in his dream. Kabuto would never stop teasing him if Sasuke ever woke from a dream shouting Naruto's name.

When he had himself under control, he passed a hand over his forehead and grimaced. Sweat clung to him along with the sour scent of fear. Pushing away the last remnants of his nightmare, he stood and took slow, measured steps to the small bathroom. He gasped when cold water struck his bowed head, but soon enough the water warmed, filling the shower stall with steam. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, letting the tension slowly drain out of him.

It had only been a dream. Just another silly dream, no doubt caused by his brief encounter with the Konoha ninjas a few days back. Just a dream and yet…

He gritted his teeth. For the past couple of years, he had been so sure that Naruto had given up. So relieved, too, beyond his disappointment. If Naruto didn't try to intrude on what he didn't understand, he wouldn't die. But now Sasuke knew otherwise. Now he knew that Naruto wouldn't give up. And eventually…

A turn of his wrist shut off the water. He stepped out of the shower stall and stood in front of the sink, staring into the slightly foggy mirror. Cold eyes stared back, but they were his eyes. They had to stay his.

He'd never truly intended to just offer his body to Orochimaru on a platter. The risk was acceptable – any risk was acceptable if it meant Itachi would meet his fate – but always, in the back of his mind, he'd been sure that he would find a way to terminate his alliance with Orochimaru before it came to that.

Being sure wasn't enough anymore. He needed a plan. He needed to be ready. Because sooner or later, the dobe would be back, and nobody but Sasuke would kick his annoying ass back to Konoha.

…

This time, when Sasuke tried to tackle him to the bed, Naruto was ready. Using his momentum, he rolled their bodies so that he was on top, pinning Sasuke down with his legs and arms.

"Gotcha," he said, grinning a little hesitantly.

Sasuke smiled.

Naruto's hesitation disappeared with that rare curve of lips. Closing his eyes, he leaned down and pressed his mouth to Sasuke's. A swipe of his tongue and—

Naruto didn't anticipate the strike and couldn't guard against it. He was suddenly beneath Sasuke again, pinned down the same way he had held Sasuke just a second earlier, his mouth being plundered just as he had intended to do. He tried to fight Sasuke's tongue back into his mouth, but lost his focus when Sasuke lowered his body just enough to press their erections together. He gasped and unconsciously arched his body toward Sasuke's. The friction was incredible through clothes and all, and he wondered…

He tried to stop himself. He really did. He put all his strength, all his determination… and still, he yawned widely against Sasuke's mouth.

"Sorry," he offered, a smile twisting his lips, when Sasuke pulled back and raised an eyebrow at him.

Sasuke snorted. "I can't say that was the reaction I imagined."

Warmth spread through Naruto's body, and he bucked his hips upward before he even understood why. And then he got it. Sasuke had imagined _this_? Grinning, he arched toward Sasuke's mouth again—only to meet the back of his fingers. Naruto, apparently, wasn't the only one who was tired. And Uchihas, polite killers that they may be, covered their mouths when they yawned. Naruto laughed. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Maybe we should just get some sleep," Naruto suggested, still grinning. Whatever was about to happen, it would probably be better if they weren't both so exhausted.

Sasuke sat up on the bed, then stood. "Bathroom?"

Moments later, Naruto was alone and finally able to wonder what was going on exactly. His first instinct would have been to think that it was all some kind of elaborate joke, but to what purpose? It wasn't like Sasuke had friends he could laugh with at Naruto's expense. _Naruto_ was his friend. And more, apparently. He swallowed around the lump in his throat and picked up the spare blankets from the floor. What if, rather than a joke, it was a plan to lull Naruto into complacency so that he could escape and… and that was stupid because Sasuke, in the end, had come back willingly. Why would he return, and then plan to run off again? No, Naruto refused to believe that. Which left just one option that Naruto could see. Whatever was happening was real.

The thought was frightening – and strangely exhilarating. Naruto liked girls. He liked girls a lot. They didn't often return the feeling, which, combined to how busy he had been in the past years, hadn't done much for his love life. But this… Naruto frowned and tried to imagine another one of his friends coming on to him. Shikamaru would have seen it as a game. Kiba might have said he smelled good, Choji… Grimacing, Naruto shook his head to chase the images away. This was wrong. They were his friends, and he couldn't think of them as anything else.

But Sasuke… He could imagine himself kissing Sasuke again. He could see them doing…more than that, even if he wasn't too sure how they'd work out details. The thought of that pale, slim body beneath his had fire coursing through him, but reversed roles… He groaned quietly. Tiredness didn't seem like a good excuse anymore.

He blinked when the object of his thoughts entered the room, scowling, damp hair lying flat on his head, Naruto's spare pair of sweat pants riding low on his hips. A couple of water drops rolled down his bare chest. Naruto hurriedly returned his eyes back to Sasuke's face.

"I am not wearing _that_," he said, and threw at Naruto the t-shirt he had lent him for the night.

For the second time that night, Naruto dropped his load of extra blankets. He caught the t-shirt and held it in front of him, trying to figure out what Sasuke objected to. No holes. He gave it a tentative sniff. It was clean.

"What's wrong with it?" he asked, looking back up and very deliberately keeping his eyes on Sasuke's.

"What's wrong with it? It's an Icha-Icha t-shirt! Did Kakashi finally warp your brain?"

Naruto scratched his cheek, grinning again. He seemed to be doing that a lot since Sasuke had returned.

"Actually, Jiraiya gave it to me."

Folding the t-shirt into a sloppy bundle, he stepped over to the dresser. He had other t-shirts… A side look at Sasuke changed his mind. It wasn't cold. Sasuke didn't really _need_ a t-shirt.

He grabbed nightclothes for himself and moved toward the door, gesturing vaguely at the bed behind him – and the folded futon in the corner and extra blankets still on the floor.

"Just… make yourself comfortable," he said in a rush, his cheeks suddenly very hot.

He wondered, as he hurriedly washed up and took care of the little problem thoughts of Sasuke had left him with, where Sasuke would choose to sleep. His bed wasn't meant for two people. After what they had shared, though, Naruto would be disappointed if he chose the futon.

He was holding his breath when he reentered the moonlight-bathed bedroom, and couldn't help smiling – and blushing again. Feeling very self-conscious even if Sasuke wasn't looking in his direction, he went to the bed and lay down next to him, on his back too. Maybe he'd be better off waiting to see what Sasuke would do…

"If you snore, I'll smother you."

Naruto snorted. He should have expected that. "Good night to you too, bastard."

Naruto closed his eyes and rested his hands on his stomach. He was so tired, he didn't doubt he'd fall asleep in a minute, even if wasn't used to sleeping lying so rigidly on his back, even if he wasn't used to having someone so close to him, even if he could feel Sasuke's bare arm against his, and their legs just brushing together.

Yes, he'd fall asleep any minute, now. Just like Sasuke, whose breathing was now slow and regular. Any second now.

Sleep did not come. Instead, Naruto opened his eyes and turned his head toward his companion. He could hardly believe Sasuke was really there. In Konoha. In his apartment. In his _bed_.

Looking at his sleeping features, all Naruto could think was that Sasuke hadn't changed. He'd grown older, of course, but he was still Sasuke. He still looked, acted and talked like Sasuke. It was like all these years had just been a bad dream. The only different thing was the kissing and what came with it. Naruto couldn't say he minded the kissing.

He carefully rolled onto his side toward Sasuke. Would he be upset, if Naruto kissed him now? He had fallen asleep fast, so he had to be really tired. Better to let him sleep. They had all the time in the world in front of them.

Naruto closed his eyes again and tried to empty his mind. He was just beginning to drift when a brusque movement on Sasuke's side of the bed startled him. His eyes snapped open and he half sat up, expecting…he wasn't too sure what. An enemy. An attack. Something.

Instead, Sasuke's face turned from left to right on the pillow, eyebrows crunched together. A sound rose from his throat; not a happy one. Naruto could see his eyes moving beneath his diaphanous eyelids, and something inside him knew. If Sasuke's eyes opened now, they wouldn't be black.

He raised his hand, ready to shake Sasuke out of a dream that didn't seem all that pleasant, but froze without touching him. If Naruto were having a nightmare and Sasuke woke him up, he'd be embarrassed but he'd be able to shake it off and play it down with a bad joke or two. Sasuke on the other hand was… touchy. They hadn't spent much time together in the past five years, but that much Naruto remembered. He didn't want to test the new bonds they were forging, or at least not like this.

Dropping his hand, he rolled onto his stomach, his head turned away from Sasuke. He closed his eyes and even added a light snore. And then, very deliberately, he kicked Sasuke's shin. Hard.

"Wha—"

He started holding his breath before remembering he was supposed to be asleep and snoring. Behind him, Sasuke was very still for a long moment. Then the mattress moved and the bed suddenly felt very empty. Quiet steps took Sasuke away. Naruto listened intently, trying to picture where he was going. The apartment wasn't that big. His fake snoring faltered when he heard the balcony window slide open. His hand tightened next to his cheek on the pillow.

Sasuke couldn't be sneaking away now, could he? He'd had a dozen occasions to run off while Naruto had accompanied him back to Konoha. Why would he be running away now that he was home, now that he'd all but told Naruto…

His heart pounding in his chest, Naruto abandoned the pretense and jumped out of bed. A few hurried steps took him to the balcony. He almost sighed in relief when he saw Sasuke there, his pale back to him, leaning against the railway. More slowly now, he joined Sasuke, yawning widely. Sasuke didn't move or acknowledge his presence even when Naruto's arm pressed against his. In front of them, Konoha was just coming to life with the first rays of sunlight of the day. The sky still hesitated between gray and blue.

"Way too early," Naruto grumbled before yawning again.

Sasuke snorted. "Then go back to bed."

"Can't. 'M supposed to keep an eye on you, remember?"

Sasuke tensed at that, and Naruto wanted to kick himself.

"And there's a bastard-shaped hole in my bed anyway," he added hurriedly. "Damn uncomfortable if you ask me."

But Sasuke wasn't asking. He wasn't saying anything. It was almost as though the entire night – the kisses, and the smile, and the not quite admission – had all been a dream. Naruto swallowed hard and tried to find something to say, anything at all that would make Sasuke react and—

"I'm not going to run off again."

Naruto's heart skipped a beat. He doubted he'd get anything closer to a promise than these quiet, slightly annoyed words. He pushed away from the rail guard, turning his eyes to Sasuke. His face showed nothing.

"Oh. Good," Naruto said, feeling a bit dumb but needing to say something in case Sasuke expected an answer.

Good was a long way from what he felt, though. If he hadn't known any better, he could have sworn Kyuubi was trying to claw his way out of his belly. Although he doubted it'd feel this nice if his tenant ever did try to break its lease.

"I'll go catch some more sleep."

Sasuke didn't reply – not that Naruto had expected him to. Part of him wanted to comment that Sasuke looked tired, but that'd come too close to the bad dreams topic. He rested his hand on Sasuke's shoulder for a second, and tried not to think anything of it when Sasuke tensed again, almost shrugging off the touch. It was Sasuke, after all. Naruto could consider himself lucky his shoulder wasn't dislocated.

He returned to bed, and for a while he tried to keep an ear on Sasuke, since he couldn't pretend to sleep with his eyes open. It wasn't long before a tiring night and an even more exhausting trip caught up with him, and he wasn't aware of when he stopped pretending. Sasuke was quick to make an appearance in his dream, and Naruto knew right away that he was dreaming. For once, Sasuke wasn't running away, wasn't shoving his fist or katana through Naruto's chest, wasn't looking at Naruto through Orochimaru's deranged eyes. He was just… there. Close. Naruto enjoyed the change of pace and didn't try to antagonize him, lest they start running or fighting again. Who knew running through your dreams could be so tiring? And then, in typical Sasuke fashion, he was annoyed and insulting Naruto.

"Give me a bit of space, dobe."

A firm hand pushed him to his side and away. Mumbling in protest, he rolled back onto his stomach, or at least tried to. A body was there, blocking him. Blinking an eye open, Naruto emerged from his dream just long enough to realize that Sasuke had returned to the narrow bed, his bare back turned to Naruto. Still half-asleep, he threw his arm over Sasuke and tugged him closer, the same way he held his pillow sometimes. Sasuke felt cool under his hand and against his chest, even through the fabric of his nightshirt. He felt, also, as stiff as a statue.

When Naruto woke up for good a few hours later, he was a little surprised to find that Sasuke was still there, now warm and relaxed against him. It was strange, but he didn't think it would be too difficult to get used to it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Three times Sasuke didn't wear a forehead protector, and one time when he did.**

_Rating: __**M (please note change of rating)**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own, you don't sue._

_Pairing: NaruSasu. Or SasuNaru. Or both. They're trying to figure that out._

_**Warning: spoilers for recent issues of the manga.**_

_AN: Did I say the bunnies were rabid? That was an understatement. The bunnies are totally insane. I might actually be going somewhere with this. I guess we'll see. One word of reassurance – although this is my first Naruto fic, I've written fanfics before, and I've never left one unfinished._

_AN2: Big thanks to the fantabulous Kantayra for the beta'ing, for getting me into this fandom and for writing lovely serious stories and hilarious crack!fics._

AN3_: __**Big thanks to everyone who cared enough to review.**_

…

Kneeling behind his barely-open door, Sasuke peered into the hallway, waiting as silently as he knew how. A handful of minutes passed before a door slid open with a whisper and closed again. Slow steps moved down the hall, just like Sasuke had expected. He listened carefully, waiting until Itachi had turned the corner, then quickly stood and slipped out of his room. He tiptoed down the hall – he was supposed to be asleep, after all, and his mom would be upset if she found out he wasn't in bed – and very quietly entered Itachi's bedroom.

He didn't dare turn on the lights as he looked around in the darkened room. The curtains weren't fully drawn, and the moon gave him enough light. He just had to hurry and find it before Itachi returned. No doubt he had gone for a glass of water, as he did every night before bed, leaving behind…

"Yes!"

Too late, Sasuke covered his mouth with his hand and froze, certain that someone would have heard. No one was coming in to scold him, however, and he let out a relieved sigh before stepping to the bed. Itachi's forehead protector was by the pillow, the cloth folded neatly beneath the metal band. Sasuke picked it up with trembling hands, glancing back nervously toward the door. It wasn't as though he were stealing it, he told himself. He just wanted to try it on, just to see what it felt like.

It was heavier than he had expected. The metal was smooth beneath his fingers, cool. He followed the leaf design with a finger, yearning for a forehead protector of his own. In two years, maybe, or even next year if he worked really hard, he would earn his. And then—

"Sasuke? What are you doing?"

He looked up to see Itachi walk in, frowning slightly at the forehead protector in his hands. Too late to hide, now.

"Brother, I… I just wanted…"

A thin smile pulled at Itachi's lips. He stepped forward and held out his hand. A little ashamed, Sasuke looked down at his feet and gave him back the forehead protector.

"What did you want?"

Sasuke's cheeks burned in embarrassment. "I wanted to look at it more closely. I promise I was going to put it back."

"I see. Look at me, Sasuke."

Sasuke looked up, both afraid that Itachi was upset and a little hopeful that maybe, if he wasn't, he'd let Sasuke try the forehead protector on. Instead, Itachi did that annoying thing again – he poked Sasuke's forehead with his fingers.

"Ow!"

Sasuke rubbed at his forehead and glared at Itachi, who just kept smiling.

"You'll get your own soon. Off to bed, now."

Only when he reached the door did Sasuke realize what Itachi had said. He looked back at him with wide eyes.

"Brother? You think…"

"Soon," Itachi repeated. "Work hard."

Sasuke nodded and, smiling, returned to bed.

…

"I want to see Orochimaru."

Kabuto clucked his tongue in disapproval. "You'll have to start showing respect to your new sensei, Sasuke-kun. You are his guest, after all."

As he spoke, he didn't slow his pace or look back to see if Sasuke was still following him. Sasuke's fists closed. He felt insulted that the man thought so little of him that he didn't consider him a threat. He doubted attacking Orochimaru's pet on his first day would help him much, however.

"If I'm his guest," he asked, gritting his teeth, "why can't I see him now?"

Kabuto's voice was almost pleasant. Sasuke wanted to punch him more and more.

"You've had a long trip, that's why. Surely you want to rest before you see Orochimaru-sama. That first meeting will be very important for you."

There was just a hint of laughter in those last words, as though Kabuto were enjoying a private joke. Sasuke didn't like people laughing at him and if Kabuto kept it up—

"There you are." Kabuto opened a door, no different from a dozen other doors they had passed so far in the maze-like corridor, and preceded Sasuke in, flipping the lights on as he did. "This will be your room. No one will enter without your invitation."

Somehow, Sasuke had trouble believing this. After all, Kabuto was there, and Sasuke certainly hadn't asked him in. He looked around dispassionately. The room was small, windowless, but that was to be expected since they were underground. A bed, a desk and a clothes chest were the only pieces of furniture. On the side of the room, an open door revealed a small washroom.

"I'll leave you to get refreshed," Kabuto said, still smiling too much for Sasuke's liking. "Be ready in a couple of hours to meet Orochimaru-sama."

The door latch clicked with a very ominous sound behind Kabuto. Sasuke took a deep breath. This was it. There was no turning back now. He had betrayed his village and—

He stopped that train of thought before memories could come forward. He had known exactly what he was doing when he had left Konoha. His ties to his clan, his need for revenge mattered more than any other bond he had forged or broken.

He didn't know if he could sleep in this place, even as tired as he was, but lying down at least would help. He changed his mind before he reached the bed. Blood, sweat and dirt clung to him and to his torn clothes. He'd clean up first, then. Make himself presentable for his new 'sensei.'

A few minutes later, he was standing by the chest of clothes, peering in with mild disgust. They had to be kidding. There was no way he'd wear _those_. He'd rather go naked than… He grimaced as Orochimaru's image flashed through his mind. Maybe not naked, then. Scowling, he reached in and pulled the clothes out. He tried not to think too much as he put them on, and tried not to dwell on the fact that he'd look like any other of Orochimaru's cronies. He'd do something about that as soon as he could. At least, he hoped the clothes would be taken as a sign of good will. He doubted he could fool anyone into thinking he was happy to be there, not after—

He forcefully closed his mind to the memories yet again and reached into the chest to pull out the forehead protector that had been left for him. He looked at it for a few seconds, tracing the engraved symbol of Sound with a finger. It felt wrong under his touch, alien. It'd feel even worse if he put it on. Without a second thought, he returned it to the chest and closed the lid.

He may have betrayed his village and his friends, but he wasn't ready to betray who he was yet.

…

Sasuke had known this time would come. Of late, he had also started counting on it. It was, after all, why he had sent away Hawk. He had known he would need to be alone for this one fight – alone, save for their hidden audience.

"I know Itachi's dead, Sasuke." Just yards away from him, Naruto's eyes were blazing. "He's dead, so now you've got no excuse. You're coming home."

"Home?" Sasuke repeated, laughing to himself. "What home is that?"

Naruto's fists clenched and opened again. He took a single step forward, coming out of the shadows. Sunlight reflected off his forehead protector. The gleam caught Sasuke's eyes and he brought a hand to his own forehead, disguising his movement at the last second by pushing his bangs out of his eyes.

"Konoha is your home," Naruto said, all too predictably. "I'm taking you back with me."

_Home… If only it were so simple still..._

Sasuke pushed a hard smile to his lips. He had to play this one just right. "And what if I don't want to go _home_? What if I've got other plans?"

Even without the sharingan, Sasuke could tell that Naruto was gathering massive amounts of chakra. They'd both learned new tricks since their last encounter. It didn't matter, though. Sasuke knew already how this one would end. Still, he had to play the game and be convincing. Before Naruto could reply, he formed the first seals.

…

When Naruto woke up for good a few hours later, he was a little surprised to find that Sasuke was still there, now warm and relaxed against him. It was strange, but he didn't think it would be too difficult to get used to it.

He tried not to move. He didn't want to wake Sasuke, not until he had figured out what came next. He winced at the thought. His body had very definite ideas on what should come next – or at least who. Very carefully, he started shifting his lower body away from Sasuke's even though closer would have been a lot nicer. He wasn't too sure how Sasuke would react if he woke up to find—

"Don't get any ideas, dead last."

He gave a start at the quiet words, the amusement in them adding to his surprise.

"Wha…what do you mean?"

Sasuke pushed his ass back against Naruto's erection. Naruto gasped, then bit his bottom lip. This was not helping at all.

"I mean," Sasuke said, turning over to face him, "that I'm not going to let you fuck me."

There couldn't have been more than a couple of inches between their faces. Captivated by the small upturn of Sasuke's lips, so small it could barely be called a smile, Naruto didn't immediately process his words. When he did realize what Sasuke had said, his eyes widened and he stared at him. If he didn't intend to let Naruto… that meant he expected that Naruto would…

His cheeks now feeling as though they were on fire, Naruto gulped. "Listen, I think we should—"

The small roll of Sasuke's eyes was in no way an adequate warning, and Naruto let out a little undignified yelp when hard lips suddenly covered his own. He barely had time to wonder if he had morning breath before Sasuke's tongue swept in, sliding and caressing and pressing against his own until he stopped panicking and started kissing back. He closed his eyes. There would be time for thinking later, and for arguments if it came to that. He cupped the back of Sasuke's head and pulled him a little closer. And if arguments still didn't make Sasuke see reason, they could always fight it out. Naruto would win this fight too and—

His eyes snapped open and, once again, widened as far as they could go. Sasuke had done it again. Just like hours earlier, he had moved too fast for Naruto to even know what was going on until he was in the center of the bed – beneath Sasuke. His heart suddenly jumping in his chest, he broke off the kiss.

"Stop! Wait! Wai… oh…"

Sasuke did stop, and even leaned back so that he could frown at Naruto. Doing so, he pressed their hips – and their erections – closer together.

"What's wrong _now_?" Sasuke hissed.

What indeed, Naruto wondered, blinking furiously. This, even with the double layer of clothes between them, already felt _really_ good. What would it be like, skin to skin? Or even—

He shook his head to chase away the image his treacherous mind had just conjured.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked, now sounding a little worried. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said quickly, swallowing hard. "We're just… going a bit fast?"

The frown disappeared, soon replaced by a raised eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're scared."

"Of course not!"

He pushed his hips up as though to prove he wasn't. The movement drew a quiet moan from his own lips, but he didn't regret it, not when Sasuke's eyes narrowed for just a second.

"I still fail to see the problem," Sasuke said, pressing down again.

This time, they both moaned.

"Not… a problem," Naruto panted. "Just keep doing…"

He thrust up again as though to demonstrate. Sasuke lowered his body on top of his, burying his face in the crook of his neck, and started rocking against him. Between them, their cocks were pressed tight together. The sensation was incredible.

"'Stop', 'wait', 'keep going'…" Each word was a caress against Naruto's skin. "Make up your mind already, dead last."

He mouthed Naruto's neck, sucking hard. Naruto trashed beneath him and ran his hands over Sasuke's back, trying to pull him even closer. He closed his eyes and arched his neck, giving Sasuke more room.

"Bastard," he mumbled.

Sasuke's answer was a particularly hard thrust. Naruto gasped, and tried to push back just as hard. Sasuke went rigid against him for a brief moment before doing it again, and again. Naruto distantly felt his toes curling.

"Sasuke… slow down… not going to last…"

"Good." Sasuke grunted. "Me neither."

Indeed, it didn't take much longer for either of them.

Afterwards, when Sasuke lay trembling on top of him, his breath coming in short pants against his neck, all Naruto could think of was what Sasuke had told him, in the small hours of morning.

_I'm not going to run off again._

Simple words, but they still echoed through his mind.

When Sasuke finally rolled off him and sat up, Naruto had to fight his own instinct to let him go rather than tighten his arms around him.

"Where are you going?" he asked, keeping the disappointment out of his voice.

Even though Sasuke had his back to him, Naruto heard his eye-roll loud and clear.

"To get cleaned up. You don't plan to spend the day in bed, do you?"

The words stirred something inside Naruto. He hadn't actually thought about it, but now that Sasuke mentioned it, the idea was… interesting. Sasuke threw a glance back at him when he didn't reply and chuckled as though he'd known exactly what Naruto was thinking.

"Your Hokage said she wanted us back in her office today, didn't she?"

Naruto sat up on the bed and frowned. "Yeah, but she said after lunch. We have time."

"Actually, if you plan on having lunch, we'll probably be late. It might save time if we shower together."

With that, Sasuke entered the bathroom, and Naruto was left to stare at the door, wide-eyed and blushing. He shook his head and tried to get his thoughts back under control. Was it really that late?

Grinning like an idiot for no reason, opening his eyes as wide as they would go as though he'd see better that way, blushing like a schoolgirl, losing track of time… He might have Sakura run a medical check on him the next time he saw her; his last fight with Sasuke had to have messed up his head or something.

He was still staring at the door when Sasuke returned, dressed in the same wide pants and open shirt he had left in the bathroom the previous night. Of course, Naruto thought. Tsunade's guards had kept everything Sasuke had brought in town, from the clothes in his backpack to his sword. At least he had given up on the purple rope. That had just been too—

Only when Sasuke stopped talking did Naruto realize he had zoned out. "Huh… What?"

Sasuke sighed. "I can't even claim I fucked your brains out, can I? I said, do you plan on sitting there all day?"

With a glance at the clock, Naruto leapt from the bed and hurried into the bathroom. He returned, minutes later, wearing only a towel.

"Forgot my clothes," he mumbled, acutely aware of Sasuke's eyes following his every movement.

He managed not to flash Sasuke as he dressed, although he was rather certain he caught a flash of red in his eyes when, decently dressed, he looked at him.

"Pervert," he accused.

Sasuke smiled. "You didn't seem to mind earlier."

Naruto hid his embarrassment by turning away again under the pretext of picking up his forehead protector from the dresser.

"I didn't," he muttered, very quietly, then glanced at Sasuke to see if he had heard.

Rather than looking at his face, Sasuke's eyes followed the movements of his hands as Naruto tied up the cloth at the back of his head. His smile and good mood were gone, replaced by an all too familiar blank expression.

"What's the matter?" Naruto asked, taking a few steps toward him.

Sasuke's gaze remained on his forehead. "Just thinking… I haven't worn one of those in a while."

"Oh! Wait!" Naruto hurried back to the dresser and opened the bottom drawer. He searched for only a few seconds before pulling out a bit of cloth and metal he'd always hoped to return to his owner. "Here!" he said, handing it to Sasuke with a large smile. "Recognize it?"

Sasuke looked at his forehead protector in his hands. If anything, his expression became even grimmer.

"Fitting," he said blankly as he tied it around his head. "I'm a missing-nin, after all."

It was only when Naruto looked at it that he saw, and remembered. He'd forgotten about the scratch that ran across the leaf symbol. All he had remembered was that he had this little bit of Sasuke with him; how and when he had acquired had ceased being relevant a long time ago.

Without thinking, he reached behind his head and tugged the knot loose.

"Trade you," he offered.

Sasuke didn't move. "Why?"

"Because you're _not_ a missing-nin, and if anyone even thinks of calling you that they'll have to deal with me."

Long seconds passed in silence before Sasuke removed his forehead protector and took Naruto's instead. He nodded once, and Naruto knew it was a thank you. Feeling strangely self-conscious, he started for the door.

"Let's go," Naruto said. "We're already late, so we might as well stop for ramen."

"Your treat."

"Ah ah! You're admitting you're the girl!"

Sasuke snorted. "All I'm admitting is that I have no money. And I see your eating habits haven't gotten any better."

Three times, on the way to the ramen stand, Naruto caught Sasuke bringing a hand to his forehead. He wasn't too sure why his stomach tightened every time. He had to be hungrier than he had thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**Three times Sasuke didn't want to talk to a girl, and one time when he did **

_Rating: M_

_Disclaimer: I don't own, you don't sue._

_Pairing: NaruSasu. Or SasuNaru. Or both. They're trying to figure that out._

_Warning: spoilers for recent issues of the manga._

_As always, big thanks to my first reader Kantayra and to everyone who will care enough to review. This is my first Naruto fic so it's nice to hear what I'm doing right – or wrong. Concrit is always appreciated._

"Sasuke-chan!"

Sasuke clenched his jaw and tried not to frown. Frowning wasn't good when one was trying to hit a target. Ignoring the blur of red dress and pigtails on his left, he focused the way he had been taught and, when he was ready, threw the kunai. It hit the target just a little off center. He let out a huff of breath, disappointed.

"Oh! You're so good, Sasuke-chan!"

He went to retrieve the kunai, throwing a scowl at Uchiha Kumiko. She was clapping and watching him with big, bright eyes, and an even brighter smile that showed she had lost her front tooth.

"Leave me alone," he said, returning to his mark. "I'm training."

"But you've been training for hours," she protested. "Don't you want to play?"

He didn't answer and focused on his target again. Maybe if he angled his hand just a little more…

"Sasuke-chan… please?"

There was a tremor in Kumiko's voice, as though she had been close to tears. Sasuke threw again, this time hitting the very edge of the target. Again, he went to retrieve the kunai. By the time he had walked back to his mark, Kumiko had turned away. Sasuke watched her go. Her head was bowed. She looked sad.

He shook his head and turned his eyes back to the target. He didn't have time for games anymore, not if he had any hope to become as good as his brother some day.

…

Sakura's words seemed loud in the night, louder for Sasuke's unwillingness to hear them. He had made his goodbyes to Team Seven and Konoha in private. Her insistence on stopping him now wasn't making his departure any more difficult than it already was, nor did it make him rethink his decision. She was wasting her time – and his.

"I love you so much!"

Sasuke couldn't say he was surprised that she did, but he hadn't expected her to say it so boldly. And still, it didn't change anything. Even if he had returned her feelings, he had no time for love. Itachi had said it again when their paths had crossed recently. Hate was all that should consume Sasuke. Couldn't she understand that? Couldn't she see that he had no time for love or happiness?

"If you can't stay here, then take me with you."

For a fleeting second, he let the idea touch his mind. What would it have been like to treat Itachi's punishment as any other mission, with Kakashi, Sakura, and Naruto at his side? He dismissed the thought as easily as it had come. It was his clan, his brother, his revenge. He could no more accept their help than he could forget about it all. But something deep inside him warmed at the thought that, if he had allowed himself to ask for their help, they would have given it.

He thanked her before he made sure she wouldn't raise the alarm.

…

Just a few feet away, Karin looked at Sasuke again. Suigetsu and Juugo sat further away next to the fire, finishing their meal. Sasuke hadn't touched the grilled fish Karin had offered him. His stomach was roiling in anticipation, and he didn't think he could eat. Sitting cross-legged on the edge of the waterfall, he merely waited – and tried very hard to ignore Karin.

"Sasuke? Are you sure this is a good idea?"

He didn't look at her or dignify her question with an answer. She had asked it before. He didn't care to repeat himself.

"If the Nine Tails is as strong as Akatsuki said—"

"He is," he interrupted her, barely refraining from correcting her. His name was Naruto. Not 'Nine Tails' or 'Jinchuuriki.' Naruto. And he was on his way.

"Then we're too close to his village," she insisted, as always unable to figure out when she should be quiet. "If others come to help him—"

"They won't," he interrupted her again, even though he wasn't as confident as he would have liked.

Sasuke had left enough hints and clues in the past couple of weeks to make it clear to Naruto where he was headed. Coming to the Valley of the End was as good as an invitation, or so he hoped. Others would not understand as easily as Naruto would. He hoped, also, that Naruto would come alone. He had planned everything, every possibility, every move, every word – but it would all go much more easily if they were alone.

"Then at least—"

Sasuke stood abruptly, startling Karin. She fell silent when he looked at her coldly. Behind her, their two companions had finished eating and had packed up their things, clearly ready to go.

"Enough. I'll fight him alone and that's the end of it. You three have your orders. Now go."

Once more, she started protesting. "But we could—"

Sasuke blinked slowly, revealing the mangekyou sharingan. Karin stumbled backward.

"Go. Now. Before I lose patience."

He turned his back on her before seeing whether she would listen now. He heard her curse, but the words didn't reach him. His mind was already on the coming fight. The time for games was over.

…

Three times, on the way to the ramen stand, Naruto caught Sasuke bringing a hand to his forehead. He wasn't sure why his stomach tightened every time. He had to be hungrier than he had thought.

They sat next to each other in the small booth. Naruto ordered for the two of them and was surprised when Teuchi just stood there, arms crossed, a frown on his face.

"What's wrong, old man?"

Teuchi thrust his chin in Sasuke's direction but addressed Naruto.

"His kind is not welcome here."

Naruto could feel Sasuke tensing next to him, though he didn't say a word, leaving it to Naruto to ask, "His kind? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Traitors," Teuchi answered. "People who have hurt Konoha."

Naruto stared at him in incomprehension. For years, Teuchi and his daughter had been some of the few inhabitants of the village who showed kindness to Naruto when everyone else could only see the Kyuubi in him. He would never have imagined this from him.

Without a word, Sasuke stood and stepped out of the stand. Shaking his head, Naruto stood as well and gave Teuchi a hard look.

"He's not a traitor. He's my friend. And if he can't eat here, I won't either."

The flash of surprise of Teuchi's face before he left was hardly worth the bitterness Naruto felt. Nothing had gone the way he had imagined since he had brought Sasuke back, but until now he hadn't minded the differences.

"I wasn't in the mood for ramen anyway," he lied, catching up with Sasuke. "Want to have barbecue?"

Sasuke shrugged, which was a good enough answer, Naruto supposed. They walked to the barbecue restaurant without another word, and only after they had sat in a booth did Sasuke say:

"Next time you can just go have ramen by yourself."

Naruto scowled. "Of course I won't."

He held Sasuke's eyes, willing him to see that he wasn't joking. A small frown creased Sasuke's forehead before he looked away.

"I wouldn't mind," he said with a light shrug.

"But I would," Naruto replied, both unwilling and unable to explain a dozen years' worth of being refused service by various shopkeepers. "And anyway, I have to keep an eye on you, remember?"

Sasuke snorted, but the lightest upturn of his lips said enough.

They ate fast, then hurried to go see Tsunade. She was alone when one of the two ANBU that guarded her door accompanied them inside.

"You're late," she said her eyes still on the pile of papers in front of her. "That's not a wise thing to do when you're already in so much…"

Her voice trailed off when she looked up. She frowned at Naruto, then at Sasuke.

"Trouble. Sasuke, wait outside. I want to talk to Naruto alone."

The demand surprised Naruto. Tsunade had told them the previous night that she'd want to see both of them again, so why was she sending Sasuke away now? He looked at Sasuke, who raised an eyebrow at him. Without thinking, Naruto formed the familiar hand seals and a shadow clone appeared. The ANBU guard stepped forward at once, alarmed.

"What are you doing?" Tsunade asked.

"I'm supposed—"

"To keep an eye on me," Sasuke finished for him, a fleeting smile on his lips.

He strolled out, followed closely by the clone. The ANBU guard looked at Tsunade for directions, then went after them, closing the door behind him. Naruto turned back to Tsunade, wondering again what she needed to tell him that Sasuke couldn't hear.

"Have you two been fighting?"

He frowned, taken aback. "What? Fighting? Why are you asking…"

She pointed at his forehead first, then at his neck.

"What did he do, bite you?"

Wide-eyed, Naruto covered the bruise with his hand, his mind flashing back to Sasuke's mouth and how good it had felt. His cheeks were burning. Embarrassed, he wondered why the Kyuubi hadn't healed this particular bruise. He could have sworn a low chuckle answered him.

"No, we haven't been fighting," he assured Tsunade with a self-conscious smile. "It's going fine, really."

She looked like she was going to ask for an explanation for the bruise and the battered state of his forehead protector. He hurriedly found something to distract her. "It'd be nice if we had more space, though."

She frowned. "More space?"

"Yeah. My apartment is too small for two people, and since the Uchiha district is empty, I was thinking…"

Both her fists resting on the desk, Tsunade stood. She was still frowning.

"He betrayed—" she started, her voice almost harsh.

Naruto interrupted her right away. "He went to punish a criminal who murdered dozens of citizens of this village. Why didn't Konoha ever do anything about Itachi?"

The question had nagged him for years, but there had been more important things to worry about. Now that Sasuke was back, though, and he needed to regain his status, Naruto could ask.

For a few seconds, Tsunade didn't reply. She merely looked at him, a thoughtful expression on her face. Finally, a thin smile stretched her lips.

"Keep it up," she said, almost playful, "and you'll end up on this side of the desk."

Naruto grinned, pleased by the unexpected remark.

"You really think so?"

She didn't answer; her smile did, though. She sat back at her desk and interlinked her fingers in front of her, resting her chin on them.

"OK. Give me until tomorrow, and I'll draft the order for Sasuke to get his property back."

Naruto could hardly believe it had been so easy. Maybe if he just asked for a little more…"What about the chuunin exam? We can't—"

Her smile vanished in a flash.

"Don't push it, Naruto. He's not been back for a full day yet. Maybe you trust him—"

"I do!" he said at once, stepping closer to the desk.

"—but I'll need more than your gut feeling for that. Especially if you keep getting bruises. And get a new forehead protector. This one is—"

He crossed his arms. "It's mine. I'm keeping it."

She sighed. "Always so stubborn."

For a few seconds, she turned her attention to the papers that littered her desk, searching through them until she pulled a sheet out.

"I have a mission for you two."

Naruto was so excited he could barely stop himself from bouncing. A mission with Sasuke; it would be just like old times, and—and then he heard what the mission was exactly. He looked at Tsunade askance.

"But it's…"

"A D-rank mission, yes," she finished, her voice emotionless. "And until I have a reason to trust him, that's what he'll do. You volunteered to stay with him. You're not leaving the village until I decide that he can."

Naruto frowned, suddenly suspicious. Before he had gone to get Sasuke back, she had been trying to keep him in the village, or really close. It was all just too convenient.

"Is it Sasuke you're keeping close," he asked, "or is it me?"

She didn't even bat an eyelash. "Akatsuki is still out there, and they still want you. I am not handing you to them on a silver platter again. You should be grateful that I forged an order for you to go after Sasuke on your own, or you'd have been considered missing as well, and you'd be under the same surveillance he is."

All of Naruto's anger disappeared. He had wondered, the previous night, why no one had brought up that he had left Konoha without authorization. He knew now. He looked down, torn between his annoyance at being confined to the village and his gratefulness that Tsunade had saved his neck.

"I am grateful," he mumbled, abashed.

Before he could add anything more, he felt the clone disperse, and its memories of the past few minutes jolted him.

"Be careful."

He nodded, a little distracted. What was Sasuke up to? "I'm always careful."

She chuckled. "Be more careful, then."

With another nod, he walked out, replaying the memories of his clone in his mind.

Naruto's clone strolled out of the Fifth's office after Sasuke, and, hands in his pockets, leaned against the wall next to him. The ANBU guard closed the door as he came out. The clone wondered what Tsunade could possibly want to tell him that she didn't want Sasuke to hear. He'd know soon enough, he supposed.

"Are you the guard who took my things last night?" Sasuke asked suddenly to the ANBU on the left of the door.

"Yes."

"Can I have them back?"

The guard didn't reply for a few seconds, then finally nodded. "The clothes and money, yes."

"But not my sword," Sasuke said blankly.

"Not the sword, no. Not until the Hokage tells me otherwise. "

The small twitch in Sasuke's jaw revealed that he wasn't happy. Maybe Naruto could help convince the guard. After all, Sasuke wasn't an enemy.

"I'm sure she—"

"Drop it," Sasuke interrupted him, talking very low. "I don't need it."

They stood by the wall while the guard went to retrieve Sasuke's things from a nearby room. Naruto's clone kept glancing at him, wondering whether he truly didn't mind the loss of his sword. Sasuke thanked the ANBU guard with a light nod when he returned, and swung a strap over his shoulder without checking the contents of the bag.

"You mentioned Sakura works with the Hokage," he said, looking at the clone. "Do you know where she is?"

Naruto's clone shrugged. "Sometimes she's in the office over there."

He indicated the right side of the hall. After a second, Sasuke started walking that way, Naruto's clone immediately at his side. As they walked down the hallway, Sasuke turned to the clone and flashed the sharingan at him. Naruto's clone blinked, startled.

"What was that?"

Sasuke's eyes returned to the hallway in front of them. "Just checking that you're a clone."

"Why?"

"Because I don't kiss clones."

Naruto's clone stumbled, wondering whether he was serious. He caught up with Sasuke just as he had stepped through an open door, and was amused to find Sakura already hugging Sasuke – amused, and a bit jealous too until he noticed how uncomfortable Sasuke looked.

"I only heard you were back this morning," she babbled when she let go of Sasuke. "I was hoping I'd see you." She flashed a smile at the clone. "Both of you. How are you?"

"Fine," Sasuke replied coolly. "Can I speak with you alone?"

He glanced at Tsunade's secretary as he said it. She raised her eyebrows at him, but complied wordlessly when Sakura asked if she would leave them for a few minutes. The clone went to close the door after her, curious as to what this was about. He was surprised, and more than a little hurt, to find Sasuke with a kunai in hand when he turned back toward him and Sakura.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said, "but you need to leave, too."

The kunai flew. Taken by surprise, Naruto's clone couldn't avoid it and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Naruto could feel the ANBU guards' eyes on him as he walked down the hallway. If they hadn't been watching him, he would have run. What was Sasuke up to? Why did he need to speak to Sakura alone? Why did he need to make everything so complicated?

He entered the office without knocking. At once, Sasuke and Sakura turned to him. They were sitting together on the side of the room. Sakura looked upset. Sasuke's face didn't show anything.

"You're a bastard," he informed Sasuke, hands on his hips and glaring for all he was worth. "I do all I can to make them accept you and you… you just do stupid stuff like this."

"Stupid stuff?" Sasuke repeated, the barest thread of amusement in his voice. "You mean catching you off-guard, dead last?"

Naruto snorted. "Keep wishing. The clone dispelled on purpose to let me know you were up to no good."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and stood. Sakura still hadn't said a word. She was now frowning at nothing in particular, seemingly lost in her thoughts.

"Everything OK, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, both worried and curious.

"Everything's fine," she assured him with a small smile. "I've just… I've got a lot of work to do."

She stood and approached the shelves, still frowning slightly. Naruto watched her, then Sasuke, wondering what had transpired between the two of them after Sasuke had gotten rid of his clone.

"We've got a mission," he informed Sasuke, and they left together. "What did you two talk about, then?" he asked once they had reached the street.

"Nothing much," Sasuke replied with a shrug. "You know, just catching up."

Naruto bit his lip rather than accuse him of lying. Sasuke hadn't been back to Konoha for a full day, and already he was hiding something. He hadn't changed one bit, Naruto thought, not for the first time, but for the first time the idea left a bitter taste on his tongue.


	5. Chapter 5

**Three times when Sasuke kept a secret for the wrong reason, and one when he did it for the right reason**

_Rating: M_

_Disclaimer: I don't own, you don't sue._

_Pairing: NaruSasu. Or SasuNaru. __Or both._

_Thanks as always to the reviewers and to Kantayra (you should all go give a try to her Sasori/Deidara fic __**Flesh and Blood**__ because it's GOOD – funny, witty, nicely plotty, and in a few chapters it'll be HOT)._

The strange sharingan swirled in Sasuke's mind every time he looked at Itachi. Had he seen wrong, maybe? It had all gone so fast, and Sasuke had been half-hidden at the time… Maybe he had imagined it.

Surely, if his brother had developed a new technique, he would have told their parents. He never boasted when he achieved another step toward greatness, never brought to himself the kind of attention that would have made it so easy for Sasuke to burn with resentment. Instead, he was always calm, not exactly humble but… it was as though every big thing he did were only a planned, normal step toward his goals. Sasuke could do little more than admire him, and hope to equal him.

Still, now that their father had started showing more interest in Sasuke, the last thing he wanted was to bring to light yet another way Itachi was greater than everyone he knew – greater than he was.

He kept thinking about the strange sharingan, kept wondering what it meant, kept watching Itachi in hope to see it again, but he didn't tell anyone about it. Even _after_, he never did.

…

Panting, Sasuke let himself fall to the ground and looked up at the tree in front of him. The first mark slashed the bark at about ten feet; the most recent one was almost twice as high. He'd get to the top, eventually, but this was taking longer than he had expected.

A muttered curse brought his eyes to the tree on his right. Naruto's first mark was much lower than his, but his last one almost reached as high as Sasuke's. Even as Sasuke watched, Naruto ran up yet again, and gained another half inch.

When he reached the ground again, he rested his hands on his knees to rest a little. He wasn't even panting all that hard, Sasuke realized with part annoyance, part envy. Where his teammate found this much stamina, Sasuke didn't know.

"What are you looking at, bastard?" Naruto snapped, straightening up again.

With some difficulty, Sasuke got back to his feet and tightened his fingers on his kunai.

"I'm looking at _nothing_, dead last."

Naruto glared. Sasuke smirked. Taking a deep breath, he launched himself at the tree again. He'd never admit it even under torture, but as time passed his disappointment at having been placed in a team with Naruto was slowing fading. He found himself challenged by Naruto in ways he would never have anticipated, and their rivalry only helped both of them improve. And improving, becoming better, stronger, faster was the only thing he wanted.

He almost felt sorry he'd never be able to thank Naruto for his unwitting help, but he had a reputation to maintain. He couldn't exactly go around and admit he was starting to like the idiot.

…

Sasuke could feel eyes on him—on his neck. He tugged on the collar of his t-shirt restlessly. A glance at his companions showed he was fooling no one.

Sakura knew what was there, and what had happened. He could see the pity in her eyes, the fear, and regret already that she had promised not to tell anyone. He would be surprised if she held on to that promise for very long.

As for Naruto… There were questions in his eyes, no doubt there. Ever since they had come out of that damn forest, he had been throwing little frowns at Sasuke, sometimes even looking like he was going to say something. Every time, Sasuke turned away. He had no desire to explain himself. It was bad enough that Sakura knew. He wouldn't be able to bear it if Naruto started looking at him as though he were a broken.

He _wasn't_ broken. He wasn't ill, or weakened, or anything else. And if the seal burned and hurt every so often, it didn't matter. He'd take pain over pity any day; he'd had too much of the latter already.

…

"We've got a mission," Naruto informed Sasuke, and they left together. "What did you two talk about, then?" he asked once they had reached the street.

"Nothing much," Sasuke replied with a shrug. "You know, just catching up."

Naruto bit his lip rather than accuse him of lying. Sasuke hadn't been back to Konoha for a full day, and already he was hiding something. He hadn't changed one bit, Naruto thought, not for the first time, but for the first time the idea left a bitter taste on his tongue.

He tried not to think about it as they did that stupid D-rank mission. Even though Sasuke didn't complain, Naruto could tell that he was annoyed at being given such a low-rank assignment. It was a waste of their abilities to have them do such silly things as herding cats or pulling weeds, but the underlying message was even clearer for it. A ninja couldn't leave his village for years and expect to be welcomed back with no hard feelings. Sasuke was probably lucky not to be in a cell.

At least, Naruto thought once they were done and had made their report, they would have a lot of free time. Missions like these wouldn't take them long. Without a word, he led the way toward the training grounds. Sasuke didn't ask why they were going that way, as though he already suspected.

"What did you tell Sakura?" Naruto asked as they were coming close to the grounds.

"Nothing much."

This time, Naruto didn't try to contain himself anymore. "Liar."

Sasuke's lack of reply only reinforced Naruto's certitude.

"Do you know what I was doing while you were telling _nothing_ to Sakura? I was working on getting you your clan's property back."

Still silent, Sasuke looked at Naruto. His expression was at the same time strange and intensely familiar. Naruto couldn't figure out why Sasuke would be so detached about getting his home back.

"She said she'd have the papers for you tomorrow," he insisted, trying to draw a reaction from Sasuke.

Sasuke looked away and nodded. "Thank you."

"If you want to thank me, tell me what you were saying to Sakura that you didn't want me to hear."

They had reached the training grounds. Naruto stopped and, after taking a few more steps, so did Sasuke. He turned back to Naruto and gave him an almost apologetic look.

"No."

Without warning, Naruto attacked, throwing his fist at Sasuke's face. Sasuke dodged and attacked back. Back and forth they went, tacitly keeping the sparing match to taijutsu.

"If I win," Naruto said after a couple of minutes, "you'll tell me."

He expected Sasuke to snort or roll his eyes. Instead, he asked, never breaking the rhythm of his attacks: "What if _I_ win?"

Naruto ducked and threw out his foot, finally landing a blow on Sasuke. "What do you want?" he asked, grinning.

Sasuke rolled his shoulders and launched yet another series of blows. "I don't know. Let me think about it."

On and on they went, fighting with hands and feet but no chakra. Naruto's confidence grew with each passing moment. He'd always had more stamina than Sasuke. It was only a matter of time before Sasuke started slipping—just like this, in fact. Sasuke's round kick left him off-balance, and Naruto took the opening, sending him to the ground.

"I know what I want," Sasuke said, panting. "I want a talk with the Kyuubi. Just him and me."

Naruto was so surprised that he allowed Sasuke's leg to hook behind his. Before he knew it, he was sprawled on the ground and Sasuke had rolled over him, pinning his hands above his head and immobilizing his legs with his knees.

"I win," Sasuke said with a faint smile.

Naruto wanted to protest and call him a cheater, but he found himself suddenly captivated by the sight of Sasuke's mouth slowly coming down toward his. He licked his lips in anticipation, but rather than kissing him, Sasuke rolled off him and lay on the grass next to him.

Breathing hard more from the almost-kiss than their fight, Naruto tried to get himself under control. His mind was roiling and he wasn't sure what he wanted to know most – why Sasuke wanted to talk to the Kyuubi, or why he had stopped before kissing him.

"Do you know ANBU is watching us?" Sasuke asked out of the blue, his voice no louder than a whisper.

Naruto locked his hands behind his head. "I saw him, too," he said. In truth, he had suspected something of the sort would happen. Tsunade and the Elders had agreed too easily when he had volunteered to be Sasuke's guard. "I bet he's here for me just as much as he is for you."

Next to him, Sasuke sat up, leaning back on his forearms and frowning at Naruto. "Why would they watch you?"

Naruto shrugged, looking up at the clouds passing over them. The sky was slowly darkening. Night would start falling soon. "Because of the Kyuubi? Because Akatsuki wants me? Because not even ten days ago I ran off without permission?"

He glanced at Sasuke. His eyes were wide in surprise. "You did?"

"We got news about you," he explained, "and they wouldn't let me take a team there when they heard you were with Akatsuki."

"So you ran off?"

"So I ran off," Naruto confirmed, unable to suppress a smile. "So it would only be fair if you told me what you told Sakura after all I've risked for you."

Sasuke's frown deepened. He passed a hand through his hair, pausing for a second when his fingers met the metal of his forehead protector. He looked upset.

"You still want to be Hokage, don't you?" he asked, almost biting the words.

"Of course," Naruto replied, wondering what he was getting at.

"Running off… that had to ruin your chances."

Naruto's smile twisted into a goofy grin. "The old hag fixed it for me. I owe her. And you owe me." He paused, sitting up to look Sasuke eye to eye. "Sasuke…what did you tell Sakura? She looked upset."

Sasuke shook his head slowly. "You can't put your dream in danger again. Not for me. Not because of me." He looked almost angry now, though Naruto didn't think the anger was directed toward him. Suddenly, he asked, "Do you care about what ANBU sees?"

Naruto frowned in incomprehension. "What?"

"Do you care if they see me kiss you?"

Once he understood, the answer was surprisingly easy. "No."

Sasuke launched himself at him, and this time he didn't stop until their mouths met, their tongues picking up the fight. Holding on to each other, they rolled back and forth on the grass until they were both out of breath – until they were about to show their guard a lot more than a kiss. Breaking apart again, they lay side by side on the warm grass.

Eyes closed, Naruto allowed his heart to calm down, and then called out, "Hello, Sai!"

Sasuke grunted. "Of course it had to be _him_," he muttered.

Naruto wasn't sure whether he sounded more annoyed or jealous – though why he'd be jealous was a mystery.

Quiet steps in the grass brought Sai closer, and when Naruto looked up an ANBU mask was peering down at him, head tilted to one side.

"Hello, Naruto-kun. How did you know it was me?"

Naruto smiled. "It looked like you. And I had a feeling you might volunteer for this."

Behind the mask, Sai's eyes turned to Sasuke. "You got your special person back. I was curious."

Sitting up, Naruto laughed. "Did we satisfy your curiosity then?"

"I can't say I expected…" He gestured, seemingly at a loss for words. That was something new for Sai. "…this. I've read that sometimes this comes out of friendship, but it was… surprising."

Sasuke huffed. Naruto looked at him, catching only a glimpse of his annoyed expression before Sasuke stood and started walking away. Naruto stood as well, frowning. He kept an eye on him even as he asked Sai:

"Are you going to tell Tsunade about… this?"

Sai hesitated before answering. "No, I don't think that's part of what they wanted to know."

Sasuke froze at that and looked back. His eyes were ice. "They? You mean the Elders? And Danzou, too, maybe?"

Sai did not reply. Naruto looked from Sasuke to him and back, unsure of what was going on. When Sasuke turned away and started walking again, Naruto hurried after him, intending to ask what he meant. Sasuke didn't leave him time, however.

"Is he your friend?" Sasuke asked, trying – and for once failing – to sound detached.

"He's one of my friends, yes."

"Do you trust him?"

Naruto thought about it for a second. "For the most part, yes. He's got strange ideas of what's right sometimes."

Sasuke fell silent. Naruto noticed then where they were headed, and he started worrying.

"Huh… Sasuke? She said tomorrow."

Already, Sasuke was tearing off the tape that barred the entrance of the Uchiha district.

"I'm just a bit early, that's all."

Without another word, he stepped into the quiet street. Naruto watched him go, then looked around him and back. He couldn't see Sai, but he had no doubt that the ANBU was close by, watching their every movement. Maybe he wouldn't tell Tsunade about the kissing – not that Naruto cared either way – but he would definitely report this. Sighing, Naruto followed Sasuke, easily catching up with him. If the old woman got mad, better to give her two targets, including one she was too fond of to punish too harshly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Three times when Sasuke didn't go home, and one time when he did**

_A/N: Thank you so much for the feedback. I'm glad you're enjoying, and i hope you'll keep liking this._

In front of Sasuke, the lake stood still, few ripples breaking the surface of the water. It mirrored the sky perfectly, and the fluffy clouds drifted twice, above and below at the same time in perfect synchronization, like a slow dance without music. Night was slowly falling and the sky darkened, and with it, the lake.

Sasuke had been sitting on the pier for hours. He liked it here. It was where his father had acknowledged him, where he had taught him, just days before…_it_ had happened. He liked coming here after training. The other children played not very far away, he knew, but their games held no interest for him, and neither did they. They wouldn't understand why he stayed out until twilight on most nights, or why he liked to sit here. He knew they talked about him behind his back; he didn't care. He wasn't part of them anymore. It was lonely, sometimes, but it had to be for the best.

He sat up straight suddenly, his senses warning him of the change before he was even fully aware of it. Behind him, up on the pathway, someone was walking. They made an awful lot of noise, kicking at small pebbles with every step. Not a shinobi, then. And the strides seemed rather short… a child, maybe?

Sasuke turned his head just enough to see who was up there, and was pleased to discover he was right. Pleased, and a little annoyed when he saw who it was. Naruto grimaced at him. Sasuke frowned; what an idiot. He looked away, his eyes returning to the lake, unwilling to give any hint that Naruto would be welcome to join him. The noisy steps continued as Naruto walked on, alone as Sasuke was. He was probably going home, and taking his time getting there. He would probably understand why Sasuke was sitting on the pier alone. Somehow, the thought was comforting, and as he waited for the night, Sasuke found himself smiling.

…

"These are only a few of my experiments, of course." Orochimaru's fingers ghosted over the too pale face of something that wasn't truly a child anymore. He looked up at Sasuke, his eyes searching for a reaction.

Sasuke struggled to remain perfectly still even when every fiber of his being wanted to turn away. He also forced himself not to clench his fists as he wanted so much to do. Any hint of what he felt would be dangerous.

"I see," he managed to say, keeping his voice as blank as possible.

"So, Sasuke-kun?" Orochimaru prompted, apparently disappointed by his reaction. "What do you think? Don't you want to know what I'm trying to do with these?"

Sasuke turned his eyes to his so-called teacher. "Will it help me become stronger?"

Orochimaru's frown answered before he did. "Well, not exactly, but—"

"Will you teach me any more today?"

Behind him, Kabuto hissed a warning, as always outraged on Orochimaru's behalf that Sasuke wasn't showing him proper respect. Orochimaru, on the other hand, didn't seem to be offended, merely annoyed that Sasuke wasn't interested in his games.

"Not today. I have other things to do."

Sasuke nodded and turned away. Any other time, he would have protested and reminded Orochimaru of their deal. At the moment, however, he was content to go back to his room. He walked there at a normal pace even though his stomach roiled, bile rising with each step. Only when he had closed his door did he abandon all pretense and rushed to the small bathroom where he proceeded to vomit everything he had eaten that day. As tight as he shut his eyes, he could still see Orochimaru's experiments in his mind, and he knew already that they would stay with him for a long time, if not forever.

When he had nothing left to vomit, he washed his mouth and splashed cold water over his face. He had left Konoha four months earlier, and had never wanted to go back as badly as he did now. Could anything be worth what he was being shown? What he was a part of, if only by allowing it to keep happening now that he knew?

He straightened and looked at himself in the mirror. Only when he noticed his eyes' color did he realize he had unconsciously activated the sharingan. He wondered when he had done it; had Orochimaru or Kabuto noticed?

He forced himself to calm down, and as his eyes returned to their normal color, he pushed away his fantasy of leaving. He had known from the moment he had come what kind of man Orochimaru was. He couldn't give up now. He wouldn't give up.

As much as he wanted to, he wouldn't go back home.

…

Sasuke's eyes were wide open, but he could see nothing. His body was bruised and battered, his arms numb from the ropes binding him, but he could feel nothing. Madara was still talking, but he couldn't hear a word anymore.

A lie. All of it was a lie. It had to be. He refused to believe that there was even a sliver of truth to Madara's revelations. It was all just a lie.

Wasn't it?

It was so tempting to believe him… So tempting, and so horrifying to finally understand Itachi's actions. Part of Sasuke was tempted to believe, wanted to know that he owed his life to his brother's love rather than to cold calculation. Another part was horrified to think that everything he had thought to be true, everything that had guided him for so long, had been a lie.

Lies. Too many webs of lies. How was he supposed to untangle them and figure out the truth for himself?

One thing was certain; he had kept at the back of his mind the hope that he'd be able to return to Konoha when he was done hunting Itachi. He didn't think he could do it anymore. He couldn't go home until he started seeing more clearly. He wasn't even sure he had a home anymore.

…

Already, Sasuke was tearing off the tape that barred the entrance of the Uchiha district.

"I'm just a bit early, that's all."

Without another word, he stepped into the quiet street. Naruto watched him go, then looked around him and back. He couldn't see Sai, but he had no doubt that the ANBU was close by, watching their every movement. Maybe he wouldn't tell Tsunade about the kissing – not that Naruto cared either way – but he would definitely report this. Sighing, Naruto followed Sasuke, easily catching up with him. If the old woman got mad, better to give her two targets, including one she was too fond of to punish too harshly.

The street resembled any other Konoha street, and yet it was different. It might have been because it was so empty, and the only sounds were those of their sandals quietly hitting the paving stones. Or maybe it was the fact that the buildings were abandoned. Faded paint, rotted wood, broken windows… It was like a ghost town, and Naruto didn't like it – nor did he like Sasuke's silence, even if he thought he could understand it. He looked at him, and wasn't surprised to find that Sasuke's face was a blank, expressionless mask. He wanted to reach out to him, say that he was sorry, maybe, but he didn't think words would do anything to comfort Sasuke. So he remained silent until Sasuke stopped in front of a house and stared at it for long seconds.

"Sasuke?" he tried, keeping his voice quiet out of respect.

Sasuke looked at him; his eyes were very dark, lifeless.

"This was my house," he said, still not showing any emotion.

He took a step forward and easily slipped his shoes off. He rested his right hand onto the wall and bowed his head for a second.

"Come in."

Naruto did, pushing away his reluctance along with his questions as to what they were doing there. As soon as he had passed the threshold, Sasuke's hands moved into a complicated series of seals.

"There," he said when he was done, nodding to himself. "Now your little friend won't be able to come in or listen."

Naruto frowned, looking back to the empty street. "He won't like that. Why are you doing this anyway?"

"Because I want my prize."

Blinking, Naruto turned his eyes back to him. "Your prize?" he asked, swallowing hard.

Sasuke nodded. "I want to talk to the Kyuubi."

"Now? But why so soon?"

Without answering, Sasuke took Naruto's hand and led him into the house. Naruto followed automatically, raking his brain for an excuse to convince Sasuke to delay. It was hard to think with Sasuke's hand holding his own so tight, and even more tightly when they walked in front of a certain door. Naruto wanted to ask what was beyond it, but already Sasuke was sliding open a different door and pulling Naruto into a bedroom.

Like in the rest of the house, a thick layer of dust covered everything. Letting go of Naruto's hand, Sasuke stepped to the bed and pulled off the dusty cover, revealing slightly cleaner sheets.

"Did you live here?" Naruto couldn't help asking. "_After_, I mean."

Sasuke didn't ask after what. He answered on a detached tone, now going to the window and pulling the dusty curtains closed. "No, I lived in an apartment closer to the entrance of the district. But this was my room _before_. Sit on the bed."

A little unsure of what was going on, Naruto did as Sasuke asked. The room was dark for a second, but Sasuke turned on the lights before coming to the bed and sitting in front of Naruto cross-legged.

"Why do you want to talk to him?" Naruto asked, more anxious with every passing second. He didn't like to talk to the Kyuubi, and he didn't think that Sasuke talking to him was a good idea.

Sasuke seemed to sense his discomfort and replied without hesitation. "I was told certain things by Akatsuki and I want to know if they're true."

The word brought back a question that Naruto hadn't dared ask so far. "Akatsuki… Did you really work for them?"

Sasuke shrugged. "They thought I did."

"Why did you want them to think so?"

A few seconds passed before Sasuke asked, "Do you trust me?"

Naruto answered without thinking. "Yes."

"Then don't ask. Now. Are you ready?"

Naruto's nervousness returned in a flash. "For what exactly?"

Sasuke leaned in and kissed him, holding his face with both hands. The kiss was sweet, lips caressing lips without pressing for more. Just when Sasuke pulled away, Naruto noticed his eyes were now crimson. His heart jumped in his chest when he realized it wasn't simply the sharingan staring at him, but that other technique he had seen Kakashi use with startling results. By pure reflex, he jerked back, holding himself very stiffly as he waited for the attack. Nothing happened. Sasuke just sat there, now smiling peacefully at him.

Sasuke. Smiling peacefully while his eyes whirled wildly. Naruto rolled his eyes at himself for not understanding sooner.

"Is that it?" he asked, a little more harshly than he meant to. "Are you in my head?"

Sasuke nodded.

"And you made an illusion of yourself to keep me occupied?"

He nodded again.

Naruto glared, a little annoyed. "Can't you talk?"

Sasuke's smile never wavered. "What do you want me to say?"

Naruto thought fast, his eyes narrowing as he watched the too-perfect figure in front of him. It wasn't really Sasuke, and yet it was nice to see him smile.

"What are you telling the Kyuubi?" he asked, forcing himself to focus.

Sasuke kept smiling but did not reply. Naruto switched gears.

"What did you tell Sakura?"

Still no answer. Naruto glared at him.

"Speak to me, bastard! Say something! Anything!"

Sasuke's smile never wavered. "I love you, dead last."

Naruto blinked, shocked speechless. This was the last thing he would have expected Sasuke to say. The last thing he would have asked for. Yet the words made butterflies flutter wildly inside him. If only it had really been Sasuke in front of him…

"Did…" he gulped. "Did Sasuke tell you to say that?"

"No. You did."

Naruto's eyes widened. His cheeks were burning suddenly. "I did not!"

Sasuke was still smiling. "Deep in your mind, you did."

"So you'll say anything I want to hear?"

"Say, or do."

Had Naruto imagined the edge of innuendo in that simple word? "Or… do?"

"Is there nothing you want to do with me?" The fake Sasuke asked, enticing. "_To_ me?"

Naruto frowned. "You're nothing more than a figment of my imagination, are you?"

Sasuke – Naruto really had to stop thinking of that image as the real Sasuke – merely kept on smiling.

"Then no, thanks," Naruto said, biting the words. "I'd rather wait for the real Sasuke."

"OK."

The fake Sasuke leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Naruto before pulling him down to lie next to him.

"What—"

"Remember, I'm just doing what you want deep down."

Tentatively, Naruto rested his hand on Sasuke's hip and pulled him just a little closer, drawing him to lie half on top of him. Sasuke easily complied – no, not Sasuke. The real Sasuke would probably kick Naruto out of bed if he ever tried to cuddle him. Still, this was nice. Naruto ran his fingers trough Sasuke's hair, something he wouldn't dare to do with the real one. Very nice. He closed his eyes, and tried to forget it was just all an act played for his sole benefit.

After a long while, he asked, "Tell me again."

Sasuke replied, half amused, half puzzled, "Tell you what?"

Naruto knew it at once. That was the real Sasuke. Snapping his eyes open, he tried to sit up, only to realize he was already sitting. He lost his balance and tipped forward, bumping his forehead against Sasuke's. Their forehead protectors clanked together. Naruto glowered at Sasuke.

"You bastard!"

His eyes were still strange, but Naruto didn't care anymore.

"What?" Sasuke said, smirking. "Did I interrupt something interesting? How far did you go?"

Naruto glowered even harder at the implications. "You think I'd want to do anything with… with… an illusion?" He flung himself off the bed. "I've got a hand. I don't need help to masturbate."

Sasuke's eyes turned back to black and he observed Naruto for a moment before saying, "I thought I'd make it easy for you."

Naruto snorted. "Easy? You use genjutsu on me and that's supposed to be easy?"

Sasuke stood and stared at him. "It could have been a lot less pleasant. You realize that, right?"

Naruto crossed his arms, refusing to let it go so easily. "Make it up to me," he demanded.

"How?"

"Tell me why you wanted to talk to the Kyuubi."

Like in the illusion, Sasuke said nothing. The difference was that he wasn't smiling anymore.

"Sakura?" Naruto asked, gritting his teeth, and still received no answer. "Tell me…" He didn't finish, and turned away rather than let Sasuke wonder why he was blushing.

"I wish I could tell you everything you want to hear. But it's better if I don't. Better for you. You said you trusted me. Please trust me on this, too."

Naruto didn't reply. More secrets. More things being kept from him for his own good. He should have been used to it by now, but it still made him mad.

Sasuke walked on to the door, and rested his hand over the light switch. "Let's go?"

Naruto nodded and walked out in front of him, retracing his steps without thinking anymore about what had happened in this house years earlier. As he had expected, Sai stood outside, arms crossed. Naruto was ready to bet his expression behind his mask wasn't too pleased. He felt like apologizing, or even explaining, but was startled when Sasuke wrapped an arm around his waist and kissed the corner of his mouth. A look at his face and the forced smirk there was enough. It was a charade for Sai's benefit, he realized. So that he would think they had wanted privacy for a much more physical reason than what they had truly done.

"Bastard," Naruto mumbled, too low for Sai to hear.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him. "I thought you didn't care if he saw me kiss you?"

Naruto snorted and led the way up the street and out of the district, aware his behavior didn't mesh with the story Sasuke had tried to project and not caring one bit. Trusting habit to take him home, and trusting that Sasuke would come along as he had nowhere else to go, he retreated into his mind until he was standing in front of the Kyuubi's cage. Malicious eyes looked at him from the depth of the cage.

"Kyuubi?"

The demon fox growled softy. "What do you want, brat?"

"Did Sasuke tell you not to tell me what all of it was about?"

"He did. It doesn't mean I'll listen, though." The flash of teeth almost resembled a grin. "Want to know?"

"Yes."

The Kyuubi's voice took on a mocking tone. "He wanted to know if Uchihas can control me."

Ice spread through Naruto's veins at the implications. "Well?" he asked, the simple word rasping. "Can they?"

The fox growled again. "They can, the little bastards. Good thing the race is becoming extinct."

Naruto swallowed hard. "Was that all?"

"No, he also wanted to know when I last acted as a Uchiha ordered."

"And when was that?" Naruto asked with a slight frown.

"About the time you were born."

Naruto stared in shock as he understood what the demon wasn't saying. "A Uchiha set you free on the village? And Sasuke wanted to know… if he has the same power?"

"Something like that."

Naruto's mind was screaming in both pain and betrayal. The Kyuubi had to be lying. It was all a bad joke, a cruel joke he was playing on Naruto, and he even had proof of it! "But he told you to be quiet and you're not!"

The Kyubbi chuckled. "He _asked_ me. As though it were a polite thing for me to do."

Naruto snorted. Sasuke didn't understand the Kyuubi as much as he believed.

"Would you do it?" he asked, afraid to hear the answer, afraid to even imagine this happening. "If he freed you, would you ravage the village?"

Kyuubi merely laughed.

Feeling very cold, Naruto left the Kyubbi and returned to the exterior world. He was just arriving at the apartment, Sasuke on his heels. He opened the door and entered, waiting for Sasuke to take off his shoes before he grabbed the collar of his shirt with both hands and dragged him to the bathroom. He didn't want an audience for this. He shoved Sasuke against the far wall and quickly formed the seals to create two shadow clones, one that looked like him, and one that looked like Sasuke.

He wondered what it would look like to Sai when Naruto jumped out of the window and started running, followed by a Sasuke that called out apologies at him. Sai would probably think they'd had an argument. Naruto grimaced as the pair left the room. He was becoming just as bad as Sasuke where dissimulation was concerned.

He turned to the real Sasuke, and couldn't manage to feel amused at the bewildered look in his eyes. He crossed his arms and stared at him hard.

"Now," he said coldly, "enough games. Why did you come back?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Three times when Sasuke lied, and one time when he told the truth**

_A/N: I wasn't planning to update so soon, but the lovely reviews were inspiring. Thank you all. And as always, double thanks go to my beta extraordinaire Kantayra._

The teacher dismissed the class, and chatter erupted at once. The two students in the row in front of Sasuke were planning a game with their other classmates. The two girls in the row behind him were looking at him with big eyes and giggling behind their hands. Paying attention to none of them, Sasuke gathered his pencils and notebooks and slipped them into his bag, already thinking about the rest of his day. He wanted to train at using the Katon Goukakyu no Jutsu. He always had to find a deserted place to do so; adults seemed to get nervous when they saw him practicing this jutsu on his own.

Lost in his thoughts, he started for the door, stopping only when he heard his name. He turned to the teacher and waited for him to say what he wanted.

"Sasuke-chan, I've been meaning to ask…"

Kind eyes and a gentle smile… Sasuke knew where this was going. He'd heard the same question from a dozen well-meaning people in the past month. Every other day, it seemed, someone would ask how he was, offer him help, invite him to dinner.

"I'm fine," he said blankly. "I don't need anything."

The eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Sasuke, it's all right to ask if you need—"

"I don't need anything," he repeated. "Can I go now?"

The teacher nodded slowly. "All right. I'll see you tomorrow."

Sasuke turned away, hoisting the straps of his backpack higher as he stepped out of the classroom. He winced when the strap pressed on a bruise on his shoulder but kept on walking. He was late for his training.

…

"I chose to spare your life on a whim."

Emotions passed freely over Naruto's face – disbelief and pain, though Sasuke couldn't have said which was greater. He didn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed that Naruto didn't believe his words. They tasted like ashes, but they were necessary.

Those bonds his replacement touted without seeming to understand them, those bonds Sasuke had just claimed he had severed, those bonds he couldn't afford to keep… they all revolved around Naruto. Every hesitation Sasuke still felt at training with Orochimaru, every buried but still living dream of returning to Konoha, every moment of loneliness…

Harsh words and lies were weapons. When the attack fell though – when he was sure Naruto didn't believe him – he jumped forward and tried not to think about his next lie, the one he would tell himself after he killed Naruto.

…

"One goal. The complete and utter destruction of the Leaf."

Sasuke's newly renamed team looked at him with various degrees of interest. Hawk didn't care one way or the other about Konoha. To them, he supposed it was the same whether the goal was to kill his brother, destroy his village, or perform a perfect routine in a karaoke bar. Suitgetsu followed him for his stupid swords, Juugo to learn to control himself better, and Karin… He grimaced at the thought of why Karin might be following him. As long as he led them onward, he was certain they would follow.

Did any of them wonder, even for a second, whether he truly intended to destroy Konoha? He hoped they didn't. He hoped he had convinced them – and convinced Madara as well. Later, when the time was right, when he had worked out the details of his plan to perfection, he would tell Hawk of their true goal, tell them how they would help him achieve it. But Madara… He looked at him from the corner of his eye. He still wasn't sure how much of what Madara had said was the truth, and how much was self-serving lies. He would find out, but until he did, he needed Madara to think Sasuke believed him fully.

He looked up at the full moon again. He didn't know how many more moons would rise before he returned home, but the day was coming closer. That, at least, was no lie.

…

Naruto wondered what it would look like to Sai when he jumped out of the window and started running, followed by a Sasuke that called out apologies at him. Sai would probably think they'd had an argument. Naruto grimaced as the pair left the room. He was becoming just as bad as Sasuke where dissimulation was concerned.

He turned to the real Sasuke, and couldn't manage to feel amused at the bewildered look in his eyes. He crossed his arms and stared at him hard.

"Now," he said coldly, "enough games. Why did you come back?"

Sasuke's expression smoothed out into perfect blankness. In the bright light of the bathroom, he seemed even paler than usual. He crossed his arms, mirroring Naruto, and said defiantly, "You beat me."

Naruto gritted his teeth. He'd never claimed to be a genius, but sometimes he got tired of people acting as though he was an idiot. "Right. You kicked my ass every time before, and beat me when we sparred today, but you lost to me this one time. That makes _so_ much sense. You weren't even seriously hurt when you gave up. How hard did you really fight, Sasuke? Or had you decided you'd lose before we even started fighting?"

Seconds trickled by. Sasuke didn't break eye contact, but he didn't answer Naruto's question either. Naruto felt a sharp pang when he realized he had been right.

"I see," he said, his voice cracking a little. "And then you just came back with me, no arguments, no stabbing me while I slept, no trying to run off alone." He shook his head at the memory. One of the happiest moments of his life, now spoiled forever. "I was so happy… I didn't even think for a second that you might be playing me. And then I take you here and…" Anger rose inside him and he had to take a second to calm himself. "What an idiot. I should have known it was all too good to be true."

Sasuke leaned back against the wall, arms still crossed over his chest. His fists were now clenched. "Naruto," he said, enunciating each syllable with crisp precision. "There wasn't a word I have said to you since my return that was anything but the truth."

For a moment, Naruto mulled over that. What had he said _before_ his return that hadn't been the entire truth? Was he even telling the truth now? Naruto couldn't tell anymore. He didn't dare trust his judgment or feelings where Sasuke was concerned. He was just too biased.

"What about what you did _not_ say to me?" he asked at last.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Don't—"

"You know what, Sasuke?" Naruto cut in at once. "You're in my house. In my village. Don't tell me what I can or cannot do."

Eyes flashing red for just a second, Sasuke pushed away from the wall and crossed the short distance that separated him from Naruto until they were only inches apart.

"Damn you, why do you have to make things so complicated?"

Naruto glared right back at him. "Me? You're the one—"

"I'm trying to protect you, all right?" Sasuke practically growled the words. "You want to be Hokage."

Taken aback by the abrupt change of subject, Naruto blinked. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Sasuke considered him for long seconds, clearly hesitating. Finally, his body shifted in a minute way, almost but not quite relaxing. He sighed, then pulled away again until his back hit the wall and slid down to sit on the floor.

"Someone," he said, speaking very slowly as though choosing each word carefully, "told me a story. About why Itachi… did what he did. I didn't want to believe him, but at the same time… it would have been nice to think my brother didn't do it all on his own, that he was ordered to do these horrible things and…" He shrugged. "And if that was true, then I've been pursuing a scapegoat all these years while the people who were responsible kept their power. The Elders, and someone involved in ANBU called Danzou. They supposedly ordered the destruction of my clan."

Turning the words over in his head, Naruto did not answer. Sasuke sounded sincere, but he could have been lied to. He didn't even sound totally sure of what he was saying.

"That's what Sakura is looking up for me," Sasuke finished, his reluctance obvious. "She has access to archives. If they kept a record of it, she said she'd find it. I need to know if it's true."

His last words were so cold that a shiver ran down Naruto's spine. He had heard Sasuke use that tone before – always when he had talked of his vengeance. Naruto's shoulders slumped. Sasuke had just confirmed his fears.

"And if it is?" Naruto asked, bitterness coloring his voice. "You'll kill them, won't you? The Elders, Danzou, the Hokage—"

"I have no quarrel with Tsunade," Sasuke cut in. "But if the others really ordered my brother to kill everyone… Our parents… Even me…"

He didn't finish. The fire in his gaze was enough. Feeling drained, Naruto let his knees buckle beneath him and sat on the floor like Sasuke, leaning back against the door.

"Is that why you wanted to know if you can control the Kyuubi, then?" His voice broke on the last word. "To get your revenge?"

Sasuke frowned and leaned forward. "What? No. The fox got it wrong. I wanted to know—"

But Naruto had had enough. "Why should I believe you, Sasuke? Why should I believe a single word?"

As much as he wanted to believe his friend, he knew to what lengths Sasuke was willing to go to get what he wanted. Using the Kyuubi didn't seem too much of a stretch. And hadn't Itachi warned Naruto? Hadn't he hinted that Sasuke might try to destroy Konoha?

Again, Sasuke's eyes burned. His lips twitched in a not-quite smile. "You trust me."

It was the confidence in his voice more than what he said that shook Naruto out of his torpor. "Do I?" he murmured.

Naruto's clone dispelled in a cloud of smoke.

On the edge of the cliff of the Hokage mountain, the clone Naruto had made of Sasuke disappeared as well. Naruto closed his eyes, taking in the information the clone he had left with the real Sasuke had gathered. His desire to get away from Sasuke for a while had been just as strong as his need to understand what was going on in Sasuke's thick head. He felt a bit like a coward for leaving a clone in his place, but he was also glad he had. What would he have been doing, now, if he had been with Sasuke?

When he opened his eyes again, Sai was sitting next to him, his legs dangling over the cliff.

"Clever trick," Sai said, an edge of annoyance making his words sharper. "But foolish. I'll have to report that, you know."

Naruto nodded, his mind still buzzing with fears and disappointment. "Do you know Danzou?" he asked, pushing the question past his tight throat. "I think he works with ANBU."

He hadn't been sure that Sai would answer this, and so his silence didn't surprise him. However, after almost two minutes had passed, Sai took off his mask and laid it between them.

"I do know him," he said very quietly.

Naruto turned sideways to look at him. In the rising moon, Sai seemed as pale, as expressionless as Sasuke so often was.

"Do you think… do you think he's capable of ordering someone who's barely more than a child to…" He gulped. "To massacre an entire clan?"

Sai turned his face to him, an eyebrow raised. "Do you consider me a child?"

Naruto frowned, his heart tightening painfully. "Did he order you…" He couldn't even finish.

"Never an entire clan, no."

He didn't add anything, but Naruto could read between the lines. Sai might not be willing to say it in so many words, but yes, he did believe Danzou capable of doing something like that. It wouldn't be long before Sasuke found him guilty, one way or the other. And then…

And then what? Would Naruto have to fight him, yet again? Would he be able to protect Konoha and Sasuke at the same time? Would he even be able to fight Sasuke, now that their relationship had taken a new turn? The simple thought of hurting him turned his stomach. How could he hope to fight against him?

"Sasuke's alone," he said, again needing to force the words out. "At my apartment I think. Shouldn't you keep an eye on him?"

Sai put his mask back in place, but not before Naruto could see his slight frown. He looked torn, and the reason for his discomfort was obvious.

"I'm going to see Tsunade anyway," Naruto said, pushing a faint smile to his lips. "I promise."

Sai nodded then stood. Naruto waited until he had left before standing as well, his fists closed tight at his sides. Sasuke had been an idiot to hide all this from him, and he was even worse if he thought Naruto would just stand to the side and let him ruin his life again.

But if Naruto couldn't step aside, what _could_ he do?


	8. Chapter 8

**Three times when Sasuke didn't apologize, and one time when he did**

_A/N: Thank you so much everyone for the feedback on the last chapter. And thank you Kantayra for rocking so hard._

Sasuke stood in front of his house, but couldn't make himself enter it. He stood there, trembling, until night fell. Then he sat down, his arms wrapped around his legs, his chin resting on his knee, and kept watching the house. Part of him was still sure it had all been a nightmare. Any moment, now, his mother would call out his name for dinner. Or maybe, she would send his big brother to get him, and…

Tears stung Sasuke's eyes. He dried them with his bandaged arm. Any minute, now.

"Sasuke-chan! There you are!"

He froze at the woman's voice, his lips soundlessly forming the word 'mom'.

"You've worried us again, Sasuke-chan. Come on, now."

A warm but unfamiliar hand took his and gently pulled him to his feet. He looked up and his half-formed hopes vanished. He didn't even think of protesting. It never helped.

"We were all very worried. I know you didn't want that, did you?"

Sasuke didn't reply.

"And I know you won't do it anymore. Right?"

Sasuke shook his head; the nurse mistook it for assent.

"Good boy. Let's go back to the hospital."

Sasuke went with her because he knew she had truly been worried. They always were, even though they knew, by now, where to find him. He knew she was waiting for an apology for having worried her again. He didn't give it to her. He didn't feel like he had to. He hadn't done anything wrong. He was nothing to her, and she was nothing to him. She shouldn't have worried about him.

She might act like her, or even sound like her, she even looked like her, just a bit, but she wasn't his mom.

…

"Sasuke-kun! You will apologize!"

Sasuke returned Kabuto's gaze coldly. "No."

Kabuto's eyes narrowed behind his glasses. He loomed over Sasuke, using the couple inches he still had on him. "Orochimaru-sama has been more than patient with you. Your rudeness has lasted too long already. It's time for you to—"

Sasuke turned away and started walking toward his room. He'd heard that speech a dozen times already, always from Kabuto, and he just wasn't going to change his mind about it now. He wouldn't show any sign of respect to Orochimaru. Many others deserved it more than his so-called teacher did.

"Sasuke! I wasn't finished!"

It was the slight catch in Kabuto's voice that warned him. The sharingan took over his eyes and he turned to Kabuto. He needed a fraction of a second to identify the attack, parry and strike back, slamming a startled Kabuto into the wall.

"I don't care if you're not finished," he said coolly, his hand still gripping Kabuto's throat. "I am."

He let go abruptly and pulled back. He had a feeling Kabuto might be more careful with his reprimands from now on.

…

The first stars had just twinkled to life above them when Sasuke told Naruto he was giving up. By the time Naruto had stopped staring at him as though he had grown a second head, night had fallen completely over them with barely a sliver of moon on the horizon.

The lack of light wouldn't have prevented them from starting to make their way toward Konoha; their respective injuries, on the other hand, were a different matter. Every inch of Sasuke's body ached, his chest throbbed with every shallow breath he took, and remaining seated with his back to the thick trunk of a tree was about as much energy as he felt capable of exerting now that he had conceded the fight. So all he did was watch as a limping Naruto gathered dry branches and built a small fire close to where Sasuke was sitting.

"I don't need to tie you up, do I?" Naruto asked before letting himself fall down by the fire.

Sasuke gave him a wry look and gingerly rested a hand over the burning wound on his side. "Do I look like I'm going anywhere?"

Naruto's frown quickly turned into a grimace. "Sorry about that. But it's your fault. If you weren't such a bastard…"

Sasuke closed his eyes and let a small, fleeting smile pierce to his lips. It had never occurred to him until that moment that insults could be so nice. He tried to regulate his breathing to hurt a little less. He'd try to sleep, and by morning, when he had enough light, he'd see about taking care of his wounds.

"Let me see."

He cracked an eye open to find Naruto suddenly sitting much closer, to the side so that he wouldn't block the light of the fire. It took him a moment, and Naruto's light fingers prying his own away from his side, before he understood what Naruto wanted to see.

"I'm OK," he said, batting Naruto's hand away.

"OK?" Naruto snorted. "Right. You're so OK, you conceded defeat. To me. Don't be such an idiot and let me see now. I know what the Rasengan can do."

If Sasuke had really wanted to, he could have fended off Naruto. And kicked his butt, to boot. Or so he repeated to himself as, gritting his teeth, he opened his torn shirt and let Naruto have his look. He flinched when warm fingertips gently prodded his side.

"I think two ribs are cracked," Naruto said very quietly. "Maybe broken. And you're burned."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at him. How many cracked ribs did Naruto have?

"Wasn't it the point of your attack?"

"I guess. I just…"

Naruto turned away and dug into his backpack, pulling out bandages and a jar of ointment. "I just never looked at the result this close," he muttered, then said again, "I'm sorry."

Sasuke grunted, both in reply to the repeated apology and to the cold, almost icy sensation of the ointment when Naruto smeared it over his burn.

"You don't have to apologize. It was a battle."

"It was. But you're my friend and I hurt you. So yes, I do have to apologize."

Sasuke clenched his teeth so he wouldn't cry out when, at Naruto's prompting, he leaned forward to let him wrap bandages around him. From this close, he could smell Naruto's blood, could see his injuries. Naruto's words echoed inside him and he understood suddenly the need to apologize. He wished he hadn't needed to play the part. He'd tried not to wound Naruto too badly, but he would have given himself away if he hadn't fought well enough.

It was something else altogether he was afraid to give away if he let himself talk now. He might not be able to stop at an apology, and he might end up saying much more than he wanted to say now – much more than Naruto was ready to hear. Now was a bad time to scare him off if he didn't feel the same way. They had to get back to Konoha first. Then Sasuke would be able to say… well, not everything, but at least a lot more than he dared say now.

…

Sai nodded then stood. Naruto waited until he had left before standing as well, his fists closed tight at his sides. Sasuke had been an idiot to hide all this from him, and he was even worse if he thought Naruto would just stand to the side and let him ruin his life again.

But if Naruto couldn't step aside, what _could_ he do?

As he had promised Sai, he made his way to the Hokage Tower. He still didn't know what he would do to stop Sasuke from jumping into the fire, but there was someone else he needed to protect. There might have been a more sneaky way to do it, but he couldn't be bothered to think of one now. Enough with secrets and half-assed plans. Straightforward was good enough for him.

The ANBU guard went into Tsunade's office to announce him. He came back after a few seconds, closely followed by Sakura, who ushered Naruto in with a whispered, "She's in a fool mood. What did you do?"

Naruto shook his head. _He_ hadn't done anything.

Seated at her desk, Tsunade raised her head to glare at him as he approached. She picked up a folder from a towering pile and slammed it in front of her. Shizune, Sakura and Naruto all flinched.

"Idiot boy," she muttered, looking down at the folder and opening it with harsh movements. "What did you two do in the Uchiha district?"

He watched her slam her stamp on two sheets of paper before he remembered to answer. He hadn't wanted to lie—but he hadn't imagined she would know about this already either. Damn Sai and his drawings.

"Sasuke wanted to show me his home," he said, keeping his voice neutral.

Tsunade closed the folder and slammed it onto a pile. She looked back at him with angry eyes. "And he couldn't have waited until tomorrow? Idiots. Both of you." Her eyes narrowed suddenly. "And where is Sasuke?"

Naruto shrugged uncomfortably. "At my apartment, I guess."

Tsunade's eyes flashed in anger. She stood, her hands banging on the desk. "You guess? You're supposed to shadow him!"

Sakura and Shizune flinched again; this time, Naruto didn't move. "I needed a break. And Sai is there anyway."

In the blink of an eye, Tsunade's expression changed from anger to smugness. "I see." She even smiled as she sat back down, intertwining her fingers in front of her. "I told him it was a bad idea to assign Sai to this surveillance."

The comment was so low that Naruto wasn't sure it was meant for his ears, but he picked up on it anyway. "Who did you tell?" he asked, taking a step closer to the desk "Danzou?"

Her smile faded as she eyed him with cool calculation. She reached for a scroll on the side of her desk, barely glancing at it before thrusting it toward Naruto. "Here. The order for the Uchiha district to return to Sasuke. Now go, I'm busy."

Naruto took the scroll from her and tucked it into his be but didn't leave as she had asked. "Can I talk to you and Sakura alone?"

Naruto glanced at Sakura and saw her eyes widen in surprise. Tsunade on the other hand didn't show anything. She dismissed Shizune with a gesture and a nod. Naruto waited until the door had closed on Shizune before he looked at Sakura again and asked, "Have you found anything yet?"

Hemming and hawing, Sakura looked from him to Tsunade and back before finally shaking her head.

"What's going on?" Tsunade asked, her voice low but the edge of anger returning already.

Now was not the time to lie. "Sasuke asked her to check the Hokage archives. He thinks Itachi was ordered to kill everyone from his clan by the people around the Third. He wanted proof—"

"Wait," Sakura cut in. "He just asked me to look for documents that mentioned the Uchiha clan around the time of the killings. He didn't say…"

She didn't finish. Her frown promised hell for Sasuke the next time she saw him.

"But you looked?" Tsunade asked in a deceptively mild voice.

Sakura blushed bright red. "No, Tsunade-sama. I was going to ask your permission."

Tsunade's face darkened, and for a second Naruto was sure she was angry because she believed Sakura was lying to her – just like he believed it. When she stood, however, and started pacing, he realized it was something else she didn't believe.

"It doesn't make sense," she said, her voice shaking with anger. "It's ridiculous. The Third would never have wanted anything like this—"

"But what about others?" Naruto cut in. "The Elders? Danzou?"

She stopped pacing abruptly and looked at him. Naruto wished he hadn't been so sure it was fear now coloring her eyes.

"Sakura," she said, "please leave us."

Sakura's grimace showed all too clearly she wasn't happy to be excluded. She gave Naruto a hard look on her way out; no doubt that she would ask for details later.

"Is that why Sasuke came back?" Tsunade asked when they were alone. "Because he wants to get revenge on them, now?"

She leaned against the edge of her desk, crossing her arms and watching Naruto intently. He dropped his gaze, feeling miserable.

"I don't know," he admitted.

"You can't let him do anything stupid."

He wanted to know that he knew that, but it was something else altogether that came out. "What if it's true?" he asked, uncomfortable. "If Itachi murdered everyone on orders… if it was my family, I'd want to see the true guilty people punished too."

Tsunade sighed. "Naruto…"

"Is this what being Hokage is about?"

He looked up again. It had been a long time since he had seen Tsunade seem so sad. She hadn't been the Fifth at the time, just a strange old woman who had offered him a precious gift – not precious because of how much it was worth, but rather because he had felt it signified her trust in him, in his ability to fulfill his dream.

He finished despite the tightness of his throat. "Because if it is, I don't think I want to be Hokage anymore."

She stared at him, shock widening her eyes. "Being Hokage is about protecting your people," she said, her voice getting stronger with each word. "I refuse to believe that Sarutobi-sama agreed to such an abomination. And I will get to the bottom of this."

Keeping quiet, Naruto simply looked at her. She hadn't denied it was possible. She hadn't said a word to defend the Elders, or this Danzou person. In itself, his fact told Naruto a lot.

"Go home, Naruto. Keep an eye on your Uchiha. Make sure he doesn't make things worse for all of us."

Naruto nodded and said his goodbyes before leaving. He saw Sakura in the hallway, but only gave her a tight smile before leaving the Tower. She certainly wanted an explanation, but he had no intention of giving her one here, with ANBU ears close enough to listen in and report to heaven only knew whom.

The night air had become fresh while Naruto was inside, not enough to make him cold, but enough that a shiver ran down his spine. Or that might have been from Sasuke's presence, he told himself as he stepped farther out and noticed the still body leaning against the outside wall. He paused and waited for Sasuke to push away from the wall and join him.

Moonlight cast shadows over Sasuke's face, accentuating his light frown. His eyes flashed red for just a second, and Naruto was reminded of how Sasuke had done the same thing earlier that day, checking whether he was with a clone or the real Naruto.

"How did you know I was here?" Naruto asked, keeping his voice emotionless to match Sasuke's calm gaze.

"Your…friend told me."

His mouth twisted on the word 'friend', but Naruto let it go. They started walking down the street together. Sai probably was close, but Naruto didn't see or hear him. Had it only been the previous night that he had walked back with Sasuke just like this? It felt like a lifetime ago. He'd been happier, then. More relaxed. Less worried. But then, he hadn't wondered how to fix things with Sasuke.

They had walked in silence halfway back to the apartment when Naruto remembered the scroll Tsunade had given him. He pulled it from behind his belt and handed it to Sasuke. When Sasuke took it, their fingers brushed against each other; Naruto didn't think it had been an accident. He couldn't say he minded. He observed from the corner of his eye as Sasuke read the scroll, then tucked it inside his pants' waistband.

"Will you move there?" Naruto asked after a few more seconds had passed.

"Are you moving with me?" Sasuke asked back.

Naruto shrugged and tried to ignore the wave of intense relief that had just washed over him. "I have to," he replied, his smile lightening his voice. "I have to keep an even closer eye on you now."

Sasuke snorted. Turning his face to him, Naruto was disappointed to see that Sasuke didn't share his good mood. Instead, he looked upset.

"You told Tsunade, didn't you?" Sasuke murmured, keeping his gaze focused straight ahead.

"I had to," Naruto replied.

"I didn't want her involved."

"And _I_ didn't want Sakura accused of betrayal."

That seemed to pull Sasuke out of his torpor, frowning, he glanced at Naruto.

"She wouldn't have… I asked her to look in the normal records. Nothing that would put her in danger."

It was Naruto's turn to snort. Sasuke could be so clueless, sometimes. Didn't he know that Sakura had loved him for years, and was still fond of him even now, even with everything that had happened? Couldn't he guess, like Naruto did, that she would still do just about anything for him?

"She'd have looked at more than regular papers," he said, his certitude strengthening his words. "And the old hag would have found out."

Sasuke's voice lowered to a murmur. "I didn't want to put her in trouble, not anymore than I wanted to hurt you." He paused, and when he finished, his words almost disappeared behind the soft sound of their shoes on the pavement. "I'm sorry."

Naruto didn't reply, nor did he acknowledge the apology. He knew the depth of Sasuke's pride; he knew how much those simple words must have cost him. He kept silent until they arrived at his apartment, but every couple of steps, he allowed his hand to brush against Sasuke's as they walked. Every touch continued their conversation, deepening regrets and reassurances on both parts. It was still with very few words that they finally reached his apartment, had dinner, and cleaned up. Few words worked just fine for Naruto. He had heard enough for one day, and was content to trust Sasuke's actions for a little while.

Nothing happened when they went to sleep, crammed again in the too small bed – nothing, that is, except a chaste, hesitant kiss of Sasuke against his lips. Mentally exhausted, Naruto fell asleep easily, only awakening once during the night, when a gentle arm wrapped over his waist and pulled him tight against Sasuke's chest. He went back to sleep at once, relaxing fully at last.


	9. Chapter 9

**Three times when an adversary marked Sasuke, and one time when a lover did**

_Thank you so very much for the reviews and the interest. I'm really glad readers are enjoying this story as much as i'm having fun writing it. And thank you Kantayra for making this readable._

"Foolish little brother."

The Kunai flew toward Sasuke so fast that he barely even saw it. He heard the wood of the door crack behind him at the impact before his mind registered the pain in his arm.

He had been hurt before. When someone trained as hard as he did, it was inevitable. Not that long ago, he had twisted his ankle while practicing with shuriken, and his brother had carried him home. Just a few days earlier, his mother had tended to the burns he had sustained while training to use the Katon jutsu. Sasuke might be young, but he knew physical pain, and knew the sensation of warm blood sliding on his skin.

What he'd never felt before was this searing white-hot anguish as he stood there still, unable to understand. None of it made sense. Surely, in just a second, his mother and father would stand, wipe away fake blood from their faces, and explain the reasons behind this cruel joke. Surely, Itachi would apologize for cutting him, then he'd chide Sasuke for flinching into the path of the weapon. Sasuke refused to believe his brother had deliberately tried to hurt him. He refused to believe his brother had hurt anyone.

He just couldn't have.

Could he?

Itachi breathed deeply and closed his eyes for a second. When they opened again, they were crimson, and the sharingan had that strange wheel pattern again, that pattern that Sasuke had convinced himself he had imagined. The attack, this time, left no outward scar.

…

Sitting on the edge of what was now his bed, Sasuke closed his eyes and listened intently. Outside his door, the corridors were long, and sound echoed through them. Somewhere, a door creaked open and slow steps resounded toward him. Sasuke's brow wrinkled as he tried to listen even more closely.

"How is he?"

Sasuke grimaced at the voice. Orochimaru was approaching. He was the reason Sasuke was here, and Sasuke had demanded to see him as soon as he had arrived, but now he felt some trepidation at the thought of this first meeting.

"Exhausted." Kabuto's voice held no emotion that Sasuke could discern. "He probably used too much chakra when he activated the curse seal."

The voices were becoming clearer now. The two missing-nin had to be coming to his room. Sasuke even heard Orochimaru make a small noise in his throat.

"Is his body wounded?"

Sasuke shifted, just a little, and dull pain shot through him. He didn't wince or react in any way to the pain. Naruto had given him those bruises. And in exchange, he had shoved his fist through Naruto's chest. He had almost killed him, almost killed his best friend. He couldn't even remember anymore why he had wanted to in the first place.

"Nothing too bad. He'll heal, and I'm sure the scars will fade to nothing before you are ready to take him."

"Good."

Yes, it was good, Sasuke thought dully, that scars healed and faded. He had watched the wound on Naruto's chest stitch itself back together until nothing but smooth skin was left. He was glad. He wouldn't have wanted Naruto to bear such a reminder of his treason.

The voices were clearer than ever, practically at his door now. "Did he say what form the curse seal gave him?"

Once more, Sasuke's mind drifted back to Naruto. Naruto had… changed during their fight, not unlike Sasuke. His chakra had been different, stronger, and through him, Sasuke could have sworn he had seen a demon. But no, that couldn't be right. Sasuke was the one who had a demon inside him. A winged beast that had almost killed his teammate.

"He didn't say much. His shirt was ripped in the back, though. I was thinking wings, maybe."

"Wings. Very nice. I knew I made a good choice with this one. A pity I'll have to wait so long."

Wait? Why wait? Sasuke didn't want to wait anymore. He stood and went to the door, opening it to find the two men behind it. He'd waited long enough already. He wanted to learn. He wanted to fight. He wanted to kill Itachi.

And then he wanted to go home and heal those wounds that only forgiveness would soothe.

…

Sasuke had decided long before the fight had even started what attacks he would use against Naruto. He had to be convincing, which meant he had to use some of the nastiest stuff he had learned during his long years as Orochimaru's apprentice. The trick was to use the forbidden jutsus in such a fashion that Naruto could parry or ward off the blows.

They'd been fighting for almost half an hour already. Evening was slowly falling over the Valley of the End. Sasuke was satisfied with himself. He hadn't done badly so far. He'd seen flashes of fear in Naruto's eyes a couple of times, and Naruto had called onto the Kyuubi's chakra to intensify his attacks. Blood had been shed on both sides. Soon, it would be time to finish the game.

Molding lightning chakra, he sent it through his sword, holding it with both hands in front of him. Fifty yards away, Naruto and a clone were preparing his now familiar rasengan attack. Before the ball of chakra could be completed, Sasuke ran at Naruto, his sword raised high. He started slashing toward the clone—and realized at the last moment that it was the real Naruto. He swore, angry with himself for not having noticed. He'd been so caught up in trying _not_ to kill him…

Desperation fueling him, he managed to stop himself before the sword could touch Naruto. Doing so, he left himself completely open, and unable to do a thing to avoid the full impact of the rasengan.

The world become pain. The impact sent Sasuke to crash back into a tree trunk. He tried to take a breath but his body refused to cooperate. He looked down at his side, and grimaced at the sight of the wound. His flesh was burned and throbbed where Naruto's attack had seared him. Still, he relished the pain. He'd never felt so alive. It was time to end it.

Holding his free hand against his ribs, he stood, flinching as pain lanced through him. He took a few stumbling steps toward Naruto, who looked at him through red eyes, his chest heaving with fast breaths. Sasuke stabbed the sword into the ground and let go of it, letting it stand between him and Naruto.

"OK," he said.

Naruto blinked. His eyes slowly shifted back to blue even as he kept staring as Sasuke. "OK, what?" he asked, his voice rasping.

"OK, you win."

Naruto's eyes widened. "I… win?"

Sasuke pushed back the urge to roll his eyes at how thick Naruto was. "I'll go back to Konoha with you."

"Really?"

All the pain in the world would have been worth it just to see Naruto's smile this brightly.

…

Nothing happened when they went to sleep, crammed again in the too small bed – nothing, that is, except for Sasuke giving him a chaste, hesitant kiss. Mentally exhausted, Naruto fell asleep easily, only awakening once during the night, when a gentle arm wrapped over his waist and pulled him tight against Sasuke's chest. He went back to sleep at once, relaxing fully at last.

Sasuke was already up and dressed when Naruto woke up. He'd found cardboard boxes somewhere and had started packing up Naruto's few possessions. Rubbing sleep out of his eyes, Naruto sat up on the bed and stared. Sasuke's packing had to have been really quiet if it hadn't awakened Naruto. It seemed the bastard could be considerate when he wanted.

"Well?" Sasuke said, a hand on his hip and a frown marring his features when Naruto had been staring for almost a minute. "Are you going to help at all or am I doing all the work as usual?"

Apparently, he could only be considerate when Naruto was asleep.

"Good morning to you, too," Naruto said with a small grunt. "Can I at least get dressed?"

Between the two of them and with the help of some clones, they finished boxing Naruto's stuff in no time, and took it all to the Uchiha district in one trip. It was still early in the morning, but they received strange looks on their way. Naruto and his clones glared at anyone who so much raised an eyebrow at them, but Sasuke didn't even appear to notice.

Rather than walking deep into the district to the same house as the previous evening, Sasuke led the way to a three-story building. When they reached the apartment on the third floor, Naruto remembered what Sasuke had said about living near the district's main entrance. It had to have been his place, he figured as he walked around the large but sparsely furnished apartment. He set the clones to cleaning the place. They complained but started dusting and washing the apartment anyway. It didn't look as though anyone had been in there in the past five years.

Curious, Naruto followed Sasuke into his bedroom. They'd been teammates and worked side by side, but Naruto had never seen Sasuke's place before. It looked like him, he decided as he inspected the room. Sober; restrained. He liked it. And he liked even more that the first thing Sasuke did was set upright a frame that had been lying face down. The picture inside it was very familiar.

After an hour, the place was clean. Naruto dispelled the clones and gratefully accepted a glass of ice-cold water. Standing in the kitchen, he eyed Sasuke critically. There was more dust and grime on him than there was left in the apartment. Sasuke returned his look and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well? What do you think?"

"Nice place. Even nicer now that it's clean."

A corner of Sasuke's mouth lifted, just barely. "You didn't have to put your stuff in the second bedroom, you know. Mine is big enough for two."

Feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment, Naruto took a deep swallow of his drink. He hadn't dared ask where he ought to put his things, too afraid of imposing. Now, he wished he had asked, just to hear Sasuke invite him to share his space.

Clearing his throat, he changed the subject. "Will you ever move back into your parents' house?"

The half-smile disappeared. Sasuke turned away to put his empty glass in the sink. "Probably not."

"Aren't you going to restart your clan?"

"Why?" Sasuke looked back at Naruto and asked deadpan, "Are you offering to bear my offspring?"

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. He wasn't sure whether to feel insulted. In the end, he laughed, and Sasuke cracked a smile.

"No, seriously," he said when he had calmed down. "Wouldn't you want to have little Uchihas running around? I bet they'd be cute."

Nonchalantly approaching the sink to place his glass there, Naruto wondered if Sasuke would pick up on the compliment he didn't want to voice more clearly. Sasuke didn't glare at him, so he probably hadn't noticed.

"At the moment, it seems very unlikely."

Naruto laughed. "Unlikely that your kids would be cute? Have you looked in a mirror recently?"

Sasuke gave him an exasperated look. "Unlikely that I'd father children, given the gender of my partner."

That hadn't been at all what Naruto had expected. He couldn't say he liked the idea of Sasuke being with someone else, but it seemed rather inevitable. That Sasuke would dismiss the idea so easily made Naruto's stomach flop in a very peculiar way. "Your… partner?" he said, his voice cracking on the word.

Sasuke let out a little huffing noise. "I am _not_ calling you my boyfriend."

"Partner is nice," Naruto said, a grin curving his lips. "Partner sounds like you'd share things with me. Tell me what's going on in that thick head of yours before putting yourself into more trouble."

Without batting an eyelash, Sasuke retorted, "Partner means that you trust me."

Naruto's grin disappeared as he remembered the previous night. Sasuke hadn't asked why Naruto had left a clone with him. He probably wouldn't, proud bastard that he was. How was Naruto supposed to explain himself if Sasuke didn't ask?

"I'm ready to trust you with my life," he said quietly, looking straight into Sasuke's eyes and willing him to hear the truth of his words.

Sasuke nodded. "But not with Konoha."

"I don't know if I can trust you with Konoha. Why did you want to know if you can control the Kyuubi?"

A couple of seconds passed before Sasuke answered. "I'm not the last of my clan."

Naruto's brow furrowed in incomprehension. "What does that have to do—"

"That person unleashed the Kyuubi on Konoha before. The Kyuubi confirmed it. That's what I wanted to know. He can't get anywhere near you. And you can't get anywhere near him."

Part of Naruto was relieved to finally get an explanation. It would have been even better if Sasuke were making sense, though. "Why do you think I'd want to go near him?"

Sasuke shook his head. "He's Akatsuki, Naruto. He's coming for you. And when he does, I don't know if I'll be able to stop him. But I promise you this – I'll die before I let him get you."

Sasuke's eyes remained dark as night, but they gleamed with a fire Naruto had never seen in them, leaving him in awe.

"You really did come back for me," he said, all but breathing the words.

Sasuke frowned. "I told you as much, didn't I? Did you think I lied?"

Without answering, Naruto closed the short distance between them and kissed him hard. Arms wrapping around each other, they wrestled for dominance, kissing, licking and nipping at each other's lips. Trailing soft bites along the line of Sasuke's jaw, Naruto followed the curve of his throat. He sucked hard at the crook of his neck. Sasuke moaned softly, his fingers tangling in Naruto's hair. He was breathing hard when Naruto pulled back to inspect his work. The hickey was the loveliest shade of purple on Sasuke's pale skin. Naruto grinned, then realized where exactly he had marked him – and realized for the first time what wasn't there anymore.

"The curse seal… it's gone. Did you kill him? Orochimaru, I mean."

A shadow passed over Sasuke's features, darkening his eyes. "I couldn't let him have my body, could I?"

For a fleeting moment, Naruto frowned. Sasuke hadn't really answered. It didn't matter anymore, though. His hands tightened on the back of Sasuke's shirt. How many times had he awakened from the familiar nightmare, his heart trying to break free from his chest at the thought that, somewhere, Sasuke had already been taken over by Orochimaru, and all of Naruto's efforts were wasted? "I thought you were OK with it."

Sasuke's fingers combed through Naruto's hair in an almost absentminded fashion. "I thought so, too. And then I decided that there were still things I wanted to do with my body, things I definitely didn't want that snake to do in my place."

Naruto tilted his head to one side, his curiosity picked. "Things like what?"

"Get inside you, for one."

Sasuke's tone was so serious that Naruto thought he had misunderstood for a second. The gleam in Sasuke's eyes was back, however, and the lust was unmistakable.

"I don't think—" he started, choking a little on the words, but Sasuke didn't let him finish. He drew Naruto's mouth to his own and started kissing him again. It wasn't long before Naruto had forgotten what he had been about to say, and not long after that when Sasuke's fingers found the zipper of Naruto's jacket and pulled it down. Unwilling to lose ground, Naruto tugged Sasuke's shirt out of his pants and pushed it off his shoulders and to the floor. Their mouths separated, and they looked at each other, both of them breathing hard, both of them wanting more _now_.

Sasuke sneezed. Twice. Violently.

Naruto couldn't help chuckling, the urgency of the moment forgotten even as Sasuke sneezed a third time.

"You're dusty," Sasuke said with a nasty look at Naruto's renewed chuckling.

"You're not exactly clean yourself. You should take a shower."

"So should you."

"You go first."

"There's no need for first or second, is there? The shower's big enough for two."

Naruto tried to protest. He wasn't too sure why, but he really did. However, as he had repeated countless times, Sasuke was a bastard. Not only that, but he didn't play fair.

In seconds, Sasuke had maneuvered Naruto into the bathroom, divested him of his clothes and pushed him under the already steaming spray of water. Seconds later, he had joined him and closed the glass door on them.

It was too late, then, to feel embarrassed about being naked in front of an equally naked Sasuke. Too late not to kiss Sasuke back when he pressed his lips to Naruto's. Too late to do anything but enjoy the feel of Sasuke's skin against his, and try to return the pleasure he was being offered.


	10. Chapter 10

**Three times when Sasuke pulled away from someone, and one time he reached out**

_A/N: Many, many thanks to all reviewers for your support. I only hope i don't disappoint._

Sleep clung to Sasuke as he tried to wake up, trapping him in indistinct dreams that made his heart beat too fast and made his stomach twist painfully. Blindly, he reached toward the night table to turn on the lamp, but his fingers found nothing. Forcing his eyes open, he was surprised to find that everything was bright. Had he overslept? Itachi must have forgotten to wake him. He was going to be late at the Academy! Still blinking owlishly, he hurriedly sat up. The movement awakened pain in his arm, and it all came back in a flash.

Sasuke closed his eyes, but it was too late. Images were already running through his mind. Blood. So much blood. So many deaths. And all that from his own brother.

His hands clenched on the sheet covering him. His body was shaking with silent sobs. He froze when a hand rested on his shoulder and squeezed lightly. Instinctively, Sasuke pulled away from the gentle touch. He opened his eyes to see an old man sitting in a chair next to the bed. Not just any old man, he realized as he noticed his hat and robes. The Hokage. He was smiling, but at the same time he looked sad and tired as he looked at Sasuke. Uncomfortable, Sasuke looked around, understanding that he was in a hospital room.

"How do you feel, Sasuke-chan? Do you remember what happened?"

Sasuke's fingers curled a little more tightly in the sheets. "Itachi," he started, but couldn't continue.

The Hokage sighed. "Yes. Itachi."

For the second time, he tried resting his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, but seemed to think better of it when Sasuke flinched.

"You should sleep some more," he said as he stood. "Rest. Heal."

Nodding numbly, Sasuke lay back down. His head felt heavy, and he didn't want to think anymore. The old man's hand returned, this time resting briefly on his own, still clenched on the bedsheet.

"And Sasuke? It's OK to cry. No one would think any less of you if you did."

Sasuke turned onto his side, away from the Hokage, his knees pulling up toward his chest. As tightly as he shut his eyes, tears still seeped through.

…

"Sasuke-kun! Over here!"

Sasuke let out a small, annoyed huff. He could see quite well; he didn't need Sakura to shout his name, or wave at him like a mad woman.

For the past week, Sasuke had arrived at the bridge first. This morning, he had been running late and had started hurrying before realizing that it was useless. Kakashi undoubtedly would arrive hours late as usual.

"I wonder what excuse Kakashi-sensei will give us this time," Sakura said, echoing his thoughts.

Sasuke shrugged. Kakashi's excuses seemed to get lamer with each passing day, and he didn't care to try and figure out what absurdity would come out of Kakashi's mouth next. He leaned against the bridge's railing, hands in his shorts' pockets, resigned to wait as long as he needed to.

After a few seconds of looking at him nervously from beneath her eyelashes, Sakura came to stand by him, close enough that her elbow just brushed against his.

"It's…it's a nice day, today, isn't it?" she said, stammering a little. "It'll be just perfect to train."

Scooting to the side to put some distance between them, Sasuke didn't reply. If he had, he might have pointed out that few of their future missions would take place in perfect weather conditions. They had to be able to fight, rain or shine.

"Good morning Sakura-chan!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's noisy arrival. What was it with his teammates and shouting?

"Move over, bastard."

With that mutter, Naruto slid between Sasuke and Sakura, leaning in close to her. Annoyed, Sasuke moved further out, and paid little attention to Sakura's protests—first vocal, then physical. He still couldn't understand why he had been teamed up with these two idiots.

…

Orochimaru's laugh echoed through the domed training room. Sasuke didn't really hear it, though. His ears were still buzzing from the force of the impact. He tried to push himself up to a sitting position. Only on the second try did he manage to move. His fingers grabbed at the broken stones beneath him, though they gave him little help. He felt too lightheaded to stand right away, and closed his eyes for a moment to try and clear his mind.

"He's hurt."

Kabuto's voice came through despite the buzzing, Sasuke's only warning that the man was close. He opened his eyes and glared at the hand that was reaching for his head.

"You're bleeding, Sasuke-kun," Kabuto said. "Let me see."

Sasuke batted his hand away. "I'm fine."

Warm, thick blood sliding down his cheek belied his words. He wiped at the blood with the back of his hand before struggling to his feet. He wavered for a few seconds then managed to steady himself. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the world was a little clearer, the same way it always was when Sasuke used the sharingan. He picked up the sword at his feet and raised it again, wordlessly signaling Orochimaru that he was ready.

"Don't be ridiculous," Kabuto scoffed. "You're in no state to keep fighting."

Sasuke didn't reply or spare him a glance. He kept his eyes on Orochimaru, and waited. Orochimaru's lips stretched into a thin smile.

"Get out of the way, Kabuto," he said, and didn't wait for his subordinate to obey before he launched his next attack.

…

"There's no need for first or second, is there? The shower's big enough for two."

Naruto tried to protest. He wasn't too sure why, but he really did. However, as he had repeated countless times, Sasuke was a bastard. Not only that, but he didn't play fair.

In seconds, Sasuke had maneuvered Naruto into the bathroom, divested him of his clothes and pushed him under the already steaming spray of water. Seconds later, he had joined him and closed the glass door on them.

It was too late, then, for Naruto to feel embarrassed about being naked in front of an equally naked Sasuke. Too late not to kiss Sasuke back when he pressed his lips to Naruto's. Too late to do anything but enjoy the feel of Sasuke's skin against his, and try to return the pleasure he was being offered.

He grasped at Sasuke's shoulder and hip, pulling him closer, and thrust his hips forward, seeking contact. Sasuke broke the kiss and pulled back to look at him for a second. He brushed away his wet bangs; his eyes were pure fire. When he covered Naruto's mouth again, his kiss was fiercer, bruising. He pushed Naruto until his back was pressed to the cool tiles of the shower stall. Naruto moaned into Sasuke's mouth at the feel of cold behind him, then again when burning flesh pressed tightly against his. Sasuke's right hand slipped between their bodies and closed over both their cocks, pressing them together.

Naruto's hand joined Sasuke's, and their fingers easily intertwined. They started rubbing their cocks together, falling into a fast tempo that soon had both of them moaning and gasping for air. Sasuke pressed his forehead to Naruto's, and their eyes locked. At once, their hands started working faster, using the water that still cascaded over them as lubricant.

Fire was running through Naruto's veins. The thought briefly crossed his mind that, if he had known this would happen when Sasuke came home, he would have found a way to bring him back much faster. His rising pleasure was blinding him. He lowered his head to Sasuke's shoulder, breathing against his neck and making him shudder.

Naruto couldn't have said which of the two of them came first. He would have liked to think that Sasuke yielded first, and that he followed at the feel of the warm fluid covering his hand and cock, but in truth, it might just have been the opposite.

"What… what are you thinking?" Sasuke breathed a little while later, when they stood under the spray of water and washed come and dust from each other.

Naruto laughed feebly. "Thinking? You're overestimating me. I don't have that many brain cells left."

Sasuke chuckled. It was a very nice sound. Naruto wished he could hear it more often.

"What are _you_ thinking?" he asked back.

Sasuke shut off the water and drew Naruto out of the stall. "Just that another round would be nice."

Lust shot through Naruto again, and his cock twitched. He kissed Sasuke, drawing another chuckle from him.

"I guess that's a yes?"

They hurriedly toweled each other dry and, mouths locked and arms wrapped around each other, stumbled to the closest bedroom—Sasuke's. They were about to reach the bed when a knock on the door echoed through the apartment. They both froze. Naruto reluctantly pulled back and gave Sasuke a goofy grin.

"You're as popular as ever, I see."

Sasuke huffed. "Nobody knows we're here. Except for ANBU. If it's Sai, I'm going to kill him."

He grabbed pants from the dresser and slid them on before heading to the front door. Holding the towel tightly at his waist, Naruto hurried out of Sasuke's bedroom and into his. He dressed quickly while listening for who was at the door. Not Sai, he soon realized, but Sakura.

"You should have told me!"

There was a sound that decidedly sounded like a slap. His eyes wide, Naruto dashed out of the room and into the hallway.

"No. But I shouldn't have asked you to do this for me."

She crossed her arms and glared at him. "You're a bastard."

Naruto snorted, drawing her eyes to him. "I tell him that all the time."

Sasuke turned to roll his eyes at him before looking at Sakura again.

"I just didn't want you to get in trouble."

Naruto linked his hands behind his head and grinned. "That means he's sorry."

Her eyes widened, and her eyebrows shot up. She looked at Naruto's hair, then back at Sasuke. Naruto followed her gaze and felt his cheeks burn when he realized what she was looking at: the hickey on Sasuke's neck, purplish and glaring on his so pale skin. She was smart. She understood what the hickey, Sasuke being only half dressed and the two of them having wet hair meant, Naruto was sure of it.

A tight smile appeared on her lips as she looked back at Naruto. "I see you're getting well-versed in translating Sasuke-speech."

He shrugged and tried to pretend he wasn't blushing brightly. "I'm still learning."

She nodded. "I know you'll get it right. You never gave up when it came to Sasuke."

He realized suddenly that she wasn't talking about deciphering their teammate's rare words anymore. His blushing only increased at the thought that she was encouraging him.

Next to Naruto, Sasuke cleared his throat. "You two realize I'm right here, don't you?"

"Maybe we still need time to get used to that," Sakura shot back.

After a second, Sasuke inclined his head as though conceding her point.

"I need to go back to the Tower," she said. "Tsunade-sama was still searching through the archives when I left last night. She might have found something. And if she hasn't, I can help."

Sasuke slowly nodded. "Thank you."

"I'll see you two later. Don't do anything stupid now. Either of you. You're still my teammates, and I'll kick your asses if you act dumb."

She flashed them both a smile and left. Naruto watched her go, caught between being amused and dumbfounded. He hadn't had time to wonder how she would take the news of Sasuke and him being…together, but this was not how he would have imagined it. Sasuke closed the door and turned to him, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I think that's as good a blessing as we're going to get from Sakura. I can't say I expected that."

Naruto took a step toward him, words spilling from his mouth that he hadn't dared ask until now. "What _did_ you expect, Sasuke?" He reached out and touched the purple bruise on Sasuke's neck, idly thinking that it looked rather nice. "What did you think would happen when you'd come back?"

Sasuke shivered at the touch but he didn't pull back. "Honestly? I didn't know. I wasn't sure I'd be allowed to return. I wasn't sure you'd forgive me, or even whether you… liked me."

His right eyebrow rose, making his last words a question. Naruto snorted.

"Yeah, I've spent five years trying to drag you back here because I hate your guts. That makes sense."

A barely-there smile stretched Sasuke's lips. "I didn't say I wasn't hoping."

Naruto smiled as well, but a thought wiped away his grin. "And the Elders thing?"

"That…" Sasuke grimaced. He walked past Naruto and returned to his bedroom, Naruto in tow. "I hadn't planned for it. It'd have been a lot simpler without it."

Arms crossed, Naruto watched him find a shirt and put it on. He'd heard that tone in Sasuke's voice before. He had seen that look in his eyes. He sighed. "You're going to kill them, aren't you?"

Sasuke's eyes remained locked with his. He did not reply. He didn't need to.

"But you'll let Granny figure out if it's true before you do anything dumb, right? Give her time?"

Sasuke started shaking his head, but stopped mid-movement. "I'll give her as much time as I can."

His smile, this time, looked forced, even fake. Something twisted inside Naruto, and it wasn't pleasant.

It was only mid-morning when they got to the Tower. They didn't see Tsunade, but they received their assignment for the day. It was another D-ranked mission. Sasuke didn't bat an eyelash when he heard about it, but Naruto gritted his teeth for the entire half hour it took them to accomplish the mission. They spared again, afterwards, and Naruto had a feeling this would become part of their routine—if this all lasted long enough for them to establish a routine.

They bought food on their way home. They had dinner. They watched TV. And despite everything, despite that fear that still gnawed at Naruto's insides that things wouldn't last, it all felt strange and domestic. Naruto's life had never been like this before, and he couldn't help wondering if this was what having a family was like.

He was thinking about it when they went to bed in separate rooms after a nice kissing session.

He was still thinking about it when he created a clone, and sent it to stand guard outside Sasuke's window.

Never before had he hoped so much that he'd be proved wrong.

Naruto's clone yawned for what had to be the hundredth time that night. The sky was slowly lightening over the horizon. He wondered if the ANBU guard on top of the building was as tired as he was. The ANBU had been there since a little past midnight, when he had come to take over for Sai. Neither of them had noticed Naruto's clone, hiding in the shadows at the foot of the building across from where his original and Sasuke slept. He wished he could have rested, too.

The barest noise caught his attention, and he looked up to the third floor. Nothing. He must have imagined it. Unless… His eyes narrowed as he dropped his gaze to the second floor and caught just a glimpse of movement. Damn it. He had been right.

Moments later, Sasuke was slipping out of the building on the opposite side of where ANBU was keeping watch. He was very careful, and it was obvious that he knew where his guard stood. He didn't seem to suspect Naruto was there, however, and when he stealthily left the district, the clone followed him just as quietly.

The clone's stomach tightened when they left the village and entered the forest. Sasuke stopped, and for a moment the clone thought he had been discovered. He flattened himself against the side of a tree trunk and remained as still as he could. Fifty feet ahead of him, Sasuke was waiting. A handful of minutes trickled by before three figures emerged from the forest, a woman and two men. The clone's fists clenched. All three of them wore Akatsuki cloaks.

"Where is Madara?" Sasuke asked them, foregoing greetings.

The white-haired man answered him. "At a hideout just beyond the border."

"They're planning to attack in three days," the woman added quickly. "We've tried to reinforce the idea that you were undercover, but I'm not sure Madara bought it. He wasn't happy when he came back from watching you fight the Jinchuuriki. What happened?"

Sasuke didn't immediately reply, and when he did, he ignored her question.

"Can you convince him to wait longer?"

This time, it was the other man who answered. "I doubt it. The only reason we wear these cloaks is because of you, and they know it. If you're not there, we don't have much credit with Akatsuki."

Sasuke nodded. "Three days, then. I'll work with that. Is his plan the same?"

The first man and the woman answered together, and threw each other glares. "Yes."

"There won't be much left of Konoha," the man added. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

The woman huffed. "Have you been paying attention, Suigetsu? We're supposed to…" Her voice trailed off, and she pushed her glasses higher on her nose. "Or we could get the Kyuubi now and show Akatsuki what we're made of."

Her head turned in the clone's direction. Knowing he had been noticed, the clone came out of his hiding spot. He didn't say a word, but he made a point of meeting Sasuke's eyes before he dispelled, daring him to come back home and explain himself.

Naruto woke up when the clone's memories suddenly burst into his mind. He opened his eyes and, his fingers locked behind his head, he stared up into the darkness. He was going to kick Sasuke's ass. And then, he'd drag him to Konoha's jail and lock him up himself. The bastard deserved as much.

And so did he, Naruto thought bitterly. He kept hoping beyond hope, kept trusting Sasuke to do the right thing, but deep down, he'd known something was going on. Now he knew for sure.

After a while, he got out of bed and dressed. If Sasuke was coming back, he wanted to be ready. If he wasn't, he'd need to warn Tsunade that an attack was coming. Or maybe he ought to simply leave, he thought as he paced through Sasuke's room. If he wasn't in the village anymore, Akatsuki would pursue him and leave Konoha in peace. His gaze fell on the picture frame on the dresser, and he glared at it. Akatsuki might move on, but what about Sasuke?

A few more minutes passed before Sasuke returned. Naruto stared at him when he entered the room, keeping quiet.

Sasuke waited for a few seconds, then asked, frowning, "You're not going to ask—"

"I'm sure you've got an explanation ready," Naruto cut in. "I'm just not sure I want to hear it."

Sasuke stepped closer, rolling his eyes at him. "Idiot."

Without thinking, Naruto lashed out. His fist caught Sasuke by surprise, and he took a step back, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. Naruto looked away.

"Let's go," Sasuke said after a moment of icy silence.

"Go where?"

"See your Hokage," Sasuke said, his tone as bland as though he had been talking about the weather.

Naruto frowned. He must have heard wrong. "What—"

"The village needs to get ready for the attack."

This was making less and less sense. "But—"

Sasuke smirked and interrupted him again. "Didn't I promise you? Didn't I tell you I'd protect you? I can't do it alone."

As earlier, Naruto merely stared at him, this time in incomprehension rather than anger.

"Come on, dead last. Don't tell me you've never heard of double agents."

Naruto gaped at him, torn between relief and the fear of trusting him—yet again—and being proved wrong later. "You planned all this? Why didn't you tell me!"

Sasuke shrugged, a thin smile settling on his lips. Did the bastard find all this funny?

"I figured you'd want to follow me if I told you I was going out, and I couldn't risk Madara being there and seeing you. Come on, let's go."

Naruto crossed his arms. Sasuke kept asking for his trust, but he didn't seem to know the meaning of the word himself. "It's too early," he muttered, annoyed. "She won't be there."

"Then we'll wait for her."

Sasuke held out his hand toward Naruto, palm up. Naruto hesitated for a moment, then took it, glaring at him the entire while.

"If we're truly partners," he said gruffly, "you're going to tell me what's going on from now on. I'm not stupid. I wouldn't have thrown myself at Akatsuki if I had known they were coming."

Sasuke had the gall to look at him in disbelief. He didn't reply in words, but he did nod before tugging on Naruto's hand and leading him out. He didn't let go until they had reached the Hokage Tower.


	11. Chapter 11

**Three times when Sasuke knew what Naruto would do, and one time when he was surprised.**

_A/N: A bit of a transitional chapter. As always, thank you for your thoughts._

Sasuke put down his pencil, picked up his paper, and read it over, carefully checking his work. Abstractly, he knew why they were learning about angles, speed, and trajectories, and it wasn't even all that complicated to figure out, but he would much rather have liked to apply all these theories rather than learn them on paper.

Satisfied that his work was correct, he put down his paper facedown and idly looked around the classroom. Most of his classmates were still hunched over their work, eyebrows knitted tight in their deep focus. On the other side of the room, a pink-haired girl whose name escaped him seemed to be finished as well. She blushed brightly when she noticed he was looking in her direction and hid her face behind a curtain of long hair.

Shrugging, Sasuke moved on, his eyes finding someone else who was looking around the room. One row in front of him and three seats to his right, Naruto looked mildly panicked as he watched everybody around him scribble answers on their papers. Sasuke had a feeling that Naruto hadn't written much – if anything at all – on his answer sheet. He probably didn't understand the questions. Sasuke snorted. When this happened, Naruto had a tendency to do stupid things. It wouldn't be long now, judging by the increasingly frantic looks Naruto was throwing at the clock.

Sasuke stood and went to turn in his paper. He didn't want his efforts to be wasted just because the class' designated idiot had pulled another trick of his. As the sensei took his paper with a smile, Sasuke asked to go to the bathroom, receiving a short nod as his answer. Sasuke had barely closed the classroom door behind him when it happened.

"Uzumaki! What do you think—"

A loud crash and squeals erupted inside the classroom. Sasuke snorted and took slow steps toward the restroom. With any luck, if he took enough time, the commotion would be over by the time he came back.

…

In the blink of Sasuke's eyes, the world tilted and realigned, with everything in the same place and yet not. With a small sense of amazement, Sasuke looked at the Valley of the End around him, and couldn't help feeling that he had never truly seen it until now. He wasn't sure why the sharingan had evolved at this time, but he certainly wasn't going to complain.

He returned his attention to Naruto and almost smiled. He could see where his teammate – no, his ex-teammate, now – would strike next, and dodging the blow was a child's game. It was almost too easy, and for a second Sasuke felt like he was cheating. It wasn't cheating to use his bloodline limit, he told himself again. And it wasn't like he had never been able to predict Naruto's actions before. Naruto was nothing if not predictable. Hadn't he come after Sasuke, just as Sasuke had known he would? He stomped hard on that train of thought and focused on Naruto once more.

Naruto launched another attack. Sasuke watched it happen, at the same time as he watched how it was about to happen. This time, he didn't merely dodge. He struck back, hitting Naruto hard and sending him flying backwards. He had to win if he wanted to defeat Itachi some day.

…

It was doubtful that anyone in the small village knew what the black cloaks with red clouds meant. Still, Sasuke couldn't help but notice the wary looks the villagers threw him and the rest of Hawk. When he stopped at a food stand, the seller looked at him nervously, and even stuttered a little when he thanked Sasuke for his purchase. Maybe they did know, after all. And if they did, it meant that Konoha had sent warnings through the Fire Country.

Perfect.

"Suigetsu. Juugo. Karin."

His team members stopped as he said their names, looking back to where he was trailing behind them. Suigetsu was frowning, and it was obvious why. Calling out their names in the middle of the street was hardly the way to keep a low profile.

"Get food," he advised them, idly pointing at his own purchase. "We're getting out of here. I want to get at least halfway to the Valley of the End before night falls."

He was very careful not to look around as he spoke, but even so he could tell that at least four different people were listening while pretending not to.

"Halfway?" Karin protested. "But Sasuke—"

"Don't say his name," Suigetsu hissed. "Have you forgotten?"

Her eyes widened as she remembered they had just crossed the border into the Fire Country – Sasuke's old country, where he was considered a missing-nin. She gave him an apologetic look. In truth, Sasuke was glad she had identified him to whoever was listening. He needed the reports that would soon fly toward Konoha to identify him by name.

"Come on, hurry. We're leaving in five minutes."

Hawk scattered, and Sasuke looked up at the sky. It was barely midmorning. They'd follow the border west toward the Valley of the End and would get there the next evening at the latest. By then, The Hokage would know where he was headed – and, he was betting everything on it, so would Naruto. Sasuke hadn't chosen the Valley of the End at random; it was a message to Naruto, an invitation. And if Sasuke knew Naruto at all, he wouldn't be able to resist. In three days, four at the most, Naruto would join him, probably alone. Then their last fight would start, Sasuke would lose, and Naruto would take him back to Konoha.

Sasuke just wished he knew what would happen after that.

…

Sasuke held out his hand toward Naruto, palm up. Naruto hesitated for a moment, then took it, glaring at him the entire while.

"If we're truly partners," he said gruffly, "you're going to tell me what's going on from now on. I'm not stupid. I wouldn't have thrown myself at Akatsuki if I had known they were coming."

Sasuke had the gall to look at him in disbelief. He didn't reply in words, but he did nod before tugging on Naruto's hand and leading him out. He didn't let go until they had reached the Hokage Tower.

The sun had just risen, and the village was still sleeping, the narrow streets empty and quiet. It suited Naruto just fine. He was growing tired of the frowns villagers threw at him and Sasuke when they walked through the village. He'd been used to them while growing up, but it had been a while since he had been on the receiving end of such glares, and he had forgotten how to pretend he didn't see them. Sasuke, of course, never seemed to notice.

He looked down at their entwined fingers; the novelty wasn't fading. His eyes continued up to Sasuke's face. In the growing morning light, he could see a darkening bruise on Sasuke's jaw, where he had hit him earlier. He scowled, angry both at himself for losing his temper and at Sasuke for making him lose it. Part of him wanted to apologize for hitting him, but he hated the idea of admitting he might have been wrong when Sasuke was the one who had acted stupidly. Once he was sure Sasuke wasn't playing him for a fool, he would, maybe, but not before. He wished he hadn't been so uncertain whether it would ever happen.

As though feeling Naruto's eyes on him, Sasuke glanced at him, an eyebrow raised in a silent question. Naruto humphed and looked away. Sasuke muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "dead last," and Naruto replied with an equally quiet "bastard." That would work quite well as an apology, he decided.

When they reached the Tower's entrance, four ANBU guards stopped them, their bodies falling instantly in defensive stances. Naruto raised his hands to show he wasn't armed. Sasuke imitated him after a couple of seconds and said very calmly, "We need to talk to the Hokage."

"And she'll probably want Shikamaru there, too," Naruto added right away.

The guards looked at each other. The one on the far right answered gruffly, "Come back in a couple of hours. This is too early."

Sasuke snorted. "Is it ever to early to learn about an attack on Konoha?"

"She'll be mad if you don't get her now," Naruto said when the guards hesitated, and that finally made up their minds. No one who worked around Tsunade liked to risk one of her temper tantrums if they could avoid it.

The guard on the left hurried inside the Tower, while a second one ran toward the village. A third one gestured at Sasuke and Naruto to follow him. He led them to a waiting room near Tsunade's office, and stood by the door until the Hokage arrived ten minutes later, a sour expression on her face, Shizune just a step behind her.

"You better have a good reason for waking me up two hours after I went to bed," Tsunade thundered. "Or I swear the both of you will get to know Konoha's jail quite well."

Naruto flinched. He couldn't remember seeing her so mad before – or at least, not at him.

"We do have a very good reason," he said quickly. "Just as soon as Shikamaru gets here, we'll tell you everything. Right, Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked at him blankly for a second, then slowly nodded. Tsunade continued to alternate between grumbling and threatening them, pausing only to accept the tea Shizune offered her, until Shikamaru arrived. His bored expression briefly changed to surprise when he saw Sasuke there, but he didn't have time to say a word. As soon as the door closed on him, Tsunade said, "I'm waiting, Uchiha."

Sasuke started at once. "In three days, at sunrise, Akatsuki will come. Madara, Zetsu, Pain, Konan, and Kisame. They want the Kyuubi, and they're ready to destroy Konoha to get Naruto. They think I'll help from within Konoha." He threw a slight eyeroll at Naruto before adding, "Obviously, I won't."

Naruto took a few steps back to lean against the wall while Sasuke, Tsunade, and Shikamaru gathered around maps. Sasuke continued explaining Akatsuki's plan, adding more details as he went about where they would come and what abilities they possessed. Tsunade was silent for the most part, her brow furrowed and anger coming off her in almost visible waves. Shikamaru kept interrupting Sasuke with short, almost absentminded questions. He was clearly already planning.

Staying out of the way, Naruto observed Sasuke carefully, and wondered whether these revelations meant that he could fully trust him. In truth, he wanted to. He'd missed him so much during these long years, and he had been so happy to bring him back… For the first time, he asked himself why he had been so obsessed with Sasuke's return. Had he wanted his teammate back? His friend? His rival? Or had he wanted more than that? If it was the latter, it had not been a conscious thought. He had never thought he'd get… this, whatever 'this' was. Partners, Sasuke had said. To Naruto, it felt like family, even more so than Team Seven ever had.

It took a long while before Sasuke had answered all of Shikamaru's questions. The entire time, Naruto waited for him to come up clean and admit to the last bit, but when it looked like he wouldn't, Naruto sighed and said, "What about the three people you talked to this morning?"

His back suddenly very rigid, Sasuke turned to stare at him.

"I thought you had told us everything," Tsunade said, her voice on the edge between fire and ice.

Sasuke's eyes did not leave Naruto as he answered. "These three won't fight Konoha shinobi. They'll do what I tell them to."

"And what is that exactly?" Shikamaru asked.

Sasuke didn't answer. Naruto could feel a muscle twitch in his cheek as long, tense seconds trickled by. Tsunade finally broke the silence.

"Shikamaru, thank you. I'll see you in two hours. I want a preliminary plan by then. Shizune, prepare a list of all shinobi that are currently in Konoha or who will be back within three days."

Shikamaru's eyes went from Tsunade to Sasuke to Naruto, his expression puzzled and slightly annoyed that he was being dismissed so fast. He did leave, following a just as perplexed Shizune. The door closing on them sounded almost ominous. At once, Tsunade turned a glare to Sasuke.

"Killing them is not the solution."

Sasuke finally looked at her. "Did they do it?" he asked, much too calmly.

Tsunade thought for a while, then nodded, her features suddenly looking older as her weariness surfaced.

"I found the order a few hours ago. The Elders and Danzou all signed it. The Hokage attached a note saying he tried to stop them but couldn't."

Naruto was stepping toward them before he even knew it, outraged. "How can that be?"

Tsunade shook her head. Her voice was pure bitterness. "You'll understand some day."

"No, he won't," Sasuke said, still calm but now sounding deadly as well. "They won't be there anymore to mess with him by the time he's Hokage."

Despite everything, a flash of warmth spread through Naruto. Without thinking, he reached to brush his hand against Sasuke. Tsunade's eyes flashed to the small touch before returning to Sasuke.

"You have no idea how many times I've wished to be rid of them myself. And still, it's not the solution."

"Then what is?" Naruto asked angrily. "They're supposed to protect Konoha, and instead—"

"In their minds," Tsunade cut in, "they probably thought they were doing just that. They just forgot that the Uchiha clan was – and is – part of Konoha." A dangerous glint sparked in her eyes. "There's a very easy way to remind them of that fact."

"And what would that be?" Sasuke asked.

"Call them to justice. As a citizen of Konoha, demand justice from the clan leaders. Let them decide how they should be punished. Give your clan back its status. Start fresh rather than becoming a fugitive again."

Sasuke didn't even seem to consider the suggestion. "I don't care about the status of my clan," he said, frowning. "I'm not restarting it."

Tsunade's eyes widened in shock. "Why not? The sharingan—"

"Causes nothing but grief. Brothers against brothers. Itachi and I weren't the first. But we will be the last."

A hint of pain bled through his voice, causing Naruto's stomach to tighten unpleasantly. He reached out again, and this time took Sasuke's hand.

"If that is your decision," Tsunade said very slowly.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto and nodded. "It is."

She sighed and massaged her temples with two fingers. "Will you at least think about what I said? About bringing them to justice?"

Sasuke didn't reply.

"Or I could just have you arrested," she said, her voice darkening with anger again.

Sasuke's expression turned deadly, and Naruto could have sworn his eyes flashed red for half a second. "Akatsuki is coming."

"So they are," Tsunade said flatly. "And I would rather fight them without you if it means stopping you from taking revenge. You've had enough of that, Sasuke. Do you really want to lose everything again?"

Naruto was startled when she turned her eyes to him as she spoke. For just an instant, he wondered how she knew – and then realized he was still holding Sasuke's hand. Of course she knew; she wasn't blind.

"Am I under arrest?" Sasuke asked, his tone almost yet not quite rude.

Tsunade sighed again. "No. Just under surveillance as before. For now. And you're not doing any more missions. Either of you."

Sasuke started toward the door, but Naruto didn't move, nor did he let go of Sasuke, effectively stopping him. He looked at Tsunade and cleared his throat before asking, "How do you think the clan leaders will punish them?"

For a moment, he was sure she wouldn't answer. She crossed her arms and stared at him, as though wondering why Naruto was asking rather than Sasuke.

"They might banish them," she said at last. "Or throw them in jail. I doubt they'd execute them."

"Might?" Naruto repeated, anger rising again inside him.

Tsunade shrugged. "Something like this never happened before. The clans might accept that they were acting for what they thought was the good of Konoha."

Naruto dropped his gaze to the floor between them and thought for a moment. Sasuke's hand was warm in his, but his friend – his partner – wasn't at the forefront of his thoughts for once. Instead, he was thinking about Konoha, and about what he had believed the village stood for. Had he been wrong?

When he looked up at her again, his decision was made. It had been surprisingly easy.

"If the clan leaders don't punish them," he said very quietly, "I'll help Sasuke kill them. I don't care that I'd have to leave Konoha. If that happens, this isn't the village I thought it was."

He didn't wait to see how Tsunade would react. He turned, ready to leave, and met Sasuke's wide, bewildered eyes. He tried to smile at him, but the grin felt like a grimace. Sasuke's fingers tightened over his. They left the Tower as they had arrived, without a word. Something fundamental had changed, though. Coming in, Naruto had felt like he had to protect Konoha from Sasuke. Now, he wanted nothing more than to protect Sasuke from being hurt again by Konoha.


	12. Chapter 12

**Three times when Sasuke took control, and one time when he yielded**

_N/A: 100 reviews! Thank you oh so very much. I'm very glad you're enjoying this - and so I'm posting early. _

_And thanks as always to Kantayra-the-fantabulous._

With each step, pain shot through Sasuke. He felt none of it. His mind was a jumble of raw emotions, and it was all he could do to find his way back to his apartment. He knew startled eyes followed his progress, knew offers of help were given, but he didn't pay attention to any of it, focused as he was on what had happened that day, the events replaying in a loop in his head.

He had awoken in the hospital. Again.

He had fought Naruto. Again.

Naruto had shown himself stronger than him. Again.

Kakashi had tried to rein him in. Again.

Orochimaru, through his envoys, had offered him power. Again.

Sasuke was tired of it. Tired of it all. He had waited long enough. He had given Konoha all the time he could afford, and Konoha had given him all the power it could. Now, he had to go look elsewhere. He had to stop allowing other people to dictate what he could or could not do, and had to take control of his life.

His decision was made before he got home. He stopped just long enough to grab a quick dinner, change clothes, and pack a few things. He was about to leave when his gaze fell on the framed picture – the only picture in the room. He froze, the other option, the one he had refused to consider until now, jumping to the front of his mind.

There was another way for him to gain power – the same power Itachi possessed, the same power he had urged Sasuke to obtain if he ever wanted to kill him. His fists clenched at his side. If he went to Naruto now, if he took him by surprise…

He took a deep breath and, picking up the frame, set it flat down.

If he went to Naruto now, not only would he not get the power he needed, he might not even manage to leave Konoha.

…

The three-year mark was approaching. With every day that passed, Sasuke could imagine that the blade hanging over him descended just a little more. It wouldn't be long, now. Soon, Orochimaru would demand the price he had set for teaching Sasuke.

When he had come to Sound, Sasuke had been ready to pay for what he learned in any way he needed to. Now… things had changed. _He_ had changed. His goal was still the same, but he now wanted to achieve it by himself – not as a silent witness from within a body that wouldn't be his anymore. Not only that, but he actually had the beginning of an idea of what he might do _after_. It was a stupid idea, and he'd probably get burned badly, but maybe, just maybe…

He shut down that train of thought and stood from his seat on his bed. He stretched slowly, pushing away thoughts of an eventual return to Konoha, even putting aside, for now, his desire of revenge. He would confront Itachi soon enough. Before that, he had to correct the trajectory his life had taken. And to do so, he would kill Orochimaru. Now.

…

It was at the end of the battle with the Eight-Tails, when everything could have taken a turn for the worse, that it struck Sasuke.

Up until that moment, Hawk had been nothing but a tool to him. He had chosen its members for the abilities they could bring to him, and he had taken advantage of them in any way he had seen fit. He had not led them; he had used them.

But the way they had all acted since he recruited them… As much as they had glared at each other, even insulted each other since the beginning, something had happened to the three of them. They had stopped looking only at the reasons why they had joined him, stopped trying to reach their own goals, and instead had thrown themselves entirely into the pursuit of Hawk's goals.

They had protected each other.

They had protected him.

They weren't just a collage of mismatched shinobi anymore. They were a team.

Sasuke had almost forgotten what it felt like to belong to a team. He had almost forgotten the feel of adrenaline surging through him at the thought that his teammates might get hurt protecting him - almost, but not quite, and for a fleeting second, he longed for Team Seven.

It was different, though, very different. He wasn't simply part of Hawk. He had formed the team. He had named it, given it a purpose. And now, it was time for him to stop simply using it, and start holding the reins.

He closed his eyes for a second. When he opened his left eye, he was ready to truly take control and lead.

…

"If the clan leaders don't punish them," Naruto said very quietly, "I'll help Sasuke kill them. I don't care that I'd have to leave Konoha. If that happens, this isn't the village I thought it was."

He didn't wait to see how Tsunade would react. He turned, ready to leave, and met Sasuke's wide, bewildered eyes. He tried to smile at him, but the grin felt like a grimace. Sasuke's fingers tightened over his. They left the Tower as they had arrived, without a word. Something fundamental had changed, though. Coming in, Naruto had felt like he had to protect Konoha from Sasuke. Now, he wanted nothing more than to protect Sasuke from being hurt again by Konoha.

The village was now awake, and villagers and shinobi were walking through the streets. If they looked at Naruto and Sasuke oddly, Naruto didn't notice. His own words were still ringing through his mind, as truthful as when he had pronounced them, but only now did the consequences truly reach him. His heart was beating too fast, and a bead of sweat rolled down his back.

If it all turned sour, would he be able to do it? Would he be able to kill in cold blood?

Deep inside him, the Kyuubi laughed. "_If you need lessons, I'll kill them for you. Just let me free for a while_."

Naruto refused to answer or even to acknowledge that he had heard the fox. He was a ninja. This was what he had been trained to do. As far as he knew, he had never delivered a fatal blow, but it wasn't as though he were incapable of doing it.

So, yes. If it came to it, he'd help Sasuke kill them. He'd leave Konoha with him, be a missing-nin for the rest of his life, with no village to call his home, no future beyond the knowledge that he had a price on his head. He'd do it for Sasuke, but for himself, too. He'd do it for the Konoha that existed in his head, even if it wasn't the same Konoha he lived in anymore.

Lost in his thoughts, Naruto didn't realize they had arrived in the Uchiha District until the apartment door closed behind him with a soft click. He blinked, and was surprised to find Sasuke's eyes inches from his, piercing him. Their bodies were so close that he could feel Sasuke's warmth – or was he only imagining it?

"You meant it, didn't you?" Sasuke's gaze searched Naruto's features, and whatever he found, his eyes widened a little. "Of course you did. You do what you say. It's your way of the ninja."

Naruto gave him a goofy smile, hoping his hesitations and fears didn't show through. "It is. And yeah, I meant it. I just hope it doesn't come to that. The clan leaders—"

Sasuke stopped him with a brief but searing kiss. "Let's not talk about this."

Naruto blinked and shook his head to clear his mind. "But you've got to decide!"

Sasuke nodded, but his hands, pulling Naruto's shirt over his head, gave a very different message. "I will decide. But not now. Now I want to kiss you."

He did just that, his mouth crashing hard on Naruto's and his tongue pushing past his lips almost roughly. After a second of hesitation, Naruto joined him, fighting back and trying to take control of the kiss. Their hands clawed and pulled at items of clothing, so that they were naked when they stumbled into Sasuke's bedroom and to his bed.

This time, Naruto was ready. As the back of his knees touched the bed, he captured Sasuke's hands and used the leverage to push Sasuke onto the bed, trapping him beneath his body. Gasping, Sasuke broke off the kiss and started saying something. Whatever it was, it was lost in a louder gasp when Naruto thrust down, his cock sliding against Sasuke's hard-on between their bodies. Wanting to hear that gasp again, he slid back, and forward again, just a little harder. Sasuke could call him 'dead last' all he wanted, the truth was, when Naruto wanted to learn something, he learned fast.

He watched closely every little bit of pleasure that fluttered over Sasuke's face, and couldn't help but be awed that he was causing this. That flicker in Sasuke's so-dark eyes, that rapid blink, the catch in his breathing, and the color rising in his cheeks… He was doing this to Sasuke – him, Naruto, and no one else. He frowned suddenly, staring hard at his panting lover. Had he ever—

He chased the thought away by letting go of Sasuke's wrists and sliding his hand between their bodies. Resting his weight on his free arm, he closed his fingers over both their cocks and tightened his grip. No one else would ever touch him from now on, that was all that mattered.

Sasuke's now-free hands came down to clutch at Naruto's shoulders, his short nails digging in lightly into his skin to the beat of Naruto's pumping hand. And then, he did it yet again. Without warning, and so fast that he had to be using some kind of forbidden jutsu, he flipped them over so that he was lying on top of Naruto. He pressed his mouth to Naruto's, hard and fast, then said, "Slow down. I want more this time."

He stretched his body over Naruto's. His cock left a wet trail over Naruto's stomach. Naruto groaned at the sensation, then became very still when he realized what Sasuke was doing, reaching for the bedside table. He didn't even wonder when or where Sasuke had bought lube. He just stared, wide-eyed and his mouth suddenly very dry, as Sasuke knelt astride his thighs and flipped the cap of the small tube open with his thumb.

"What…" He swallowed hard. "What if _I_ don't want more?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him. He didn't say a word, but his eyes flickered from Naruto's face to his hard cock and back.

"Frottage is just fine for me," Naruto muttered, doing his best to pretend he wasn't blushing.

Sasuke's expression became bemused. "You actually know what it's called?"

Without conscious thought, Naruto's hands came up to rest lightly on Sasuke's thighs. "I traveled with a porn writer for three years. I've heard about stuff I wish I didn't know existed."

Sasuke let out a little noise that sounded like a cross between a chuckle and a snort.

"Well, I've got a feeling you won't mind knowing about this." He squirted lube onto his fingers and rubbed them together. "Trust me."

Naruto gulped and couldn't help tensing. It was the worst thing to do, he knew that much, but—

All thoughts left his mind and he could only stare as Sasuke reached behind himself with his lube-covered fingers. Abstractly, he knew what Sasuke was doing, but he still couldn't wrap his mind around it. From his vantage point, he could guess Sasuke's movements more than he could see them. Still stunned, he focused on Sasuke's face again, and realized that Sasuke was watching him right back, a slight frown pulling at his brow.

"Don't get any ideas," Sasuke said with a slight hitch in his voice. "Next time it's my turn to fuck you."

Naruto's cock twitched, though he couldn't have said whether it was from impatience or dread at the thought of what would happen the next time. He'd cross that bridge when he got to it. In the meantime… He tried to swallow, but his mouth was very dry suddenly. Sasuke's slick hand had closed over his cock and was pumping it tightly. Naruto tried to warn him – if Sasuke kept this up, all his preparations would be for nothing. Before he could say anything intelligible, however, Sasuke stopped. He held Naruto's cock upright and raised himself to his knees above it.

When he descended and Naruto's cock slowly slid inside that tight warmth, it was all Naruto could do to stop himself from coming at once. He wanted to close his eyes to calm himself, but Sasuke's eyes pinned him, commanding his attention. Not even daring to blink anymore, Naruto held his breath. Fire was coursing through his spine, demanding that he move, thrust up and make Sasuke his. Sasuke's hands on his chest, however, simply said, "Don't move. Let me," and he couldn't not listen.

He listened as long as he could. He listened to the bed squeaking every time Sasuke thrust himself down on his cock. He listened to Sasuke's breathing and his own, both increasingly ragged. He listened to the slap of flesh on flesh, so much like the sounds of a fight, and yet so different. He listened to his accelerating heartbeat and the blood pounding in his ears.

He listened – until all he could hear was his own need – his need to come, his need to make Sasuke come. Grabbing Sasuke's hips, he pulled him down to him, kissing him harshly before he reversed their positions. Sasuke started protesting, but a deep thrust changed his word into a low moan. His eyes widened, and he blinked rapidly before closing his eyes on Naruto's next push.

"Look at me," Naruto demanded, panting.

Sasuke's eyes fluttered open again. "Just… get on with it."

Naruto groaned. He pushed Sasuke's legs farther up, giving himself more room. His tempo accelerated and pulled continuous groans from Sasuke's throat. He fisted Sasuke's cock and pumped it, spreading down precome on each down-stroke. He was going to show him. Damn bastard.

After mere seconds, Sasuke's eyes were shut again, and he was biting down on his bottom lip to stop his whimpering. He clutched at Naruto's shoulders again, drawing him down and trapping his cock between them. Naruto buried his face against Sasuke's neck. Just a little more. Just…

The feel of Sasuke's body jerking beneath his, the warmth of his come pulsing between them, and Naruto let go, thrusting one last time and allowing his tenuous grip on his control to slip. Pleasure exploded in myriads of colors in front of his eyes. He breathed, "Sasuke…"

Sasuke's hands flexed on Naruto's shoulders and he grunted. "Heavy."

Naruto felt too boneless to do more than pull out and lie next to him, his hand resting over Sasuke's chest, his head turned toward his on the pillow. Over the years, he had seen a lot of ice over these familiar features; a lot of annoyance; a lot of anger and hate. He'd never seen this… contentment, or that feeling that he didn't dare name, even in his own mind.

Sasuke was breathing hard. His lips curled into a half grin. "So… that stamina of yours works for this, too. Nice."

Naruto wasn't sure whether he should blush or laugh. He did both before closing his eyes. His hand moved with each of Sasuke's breaths. Beneath his fingers, Sasuke's heart slowly calmed down to a gentler rhythm. Naruto lay silent for a while, clinging to the happiness that had cleared his mind of everything that wasn't Sasuke. But as time passed, reality reasserted itself and the questions returned, robbing him of his afterglow.

"Sasuke?" he murmured. "Do me a favor."

Sasuke sighed. "Should have known you'd be a pain even with sex."

Huffing, Naruto poked at Sasuke's ribs. "You weren't complaining earlier."

Sasuke's chest shook beneath Naruto's hand. Only when he opened his eyes did Naruto realize Sasuke was laughing silently.

"So what's the favor?" Sasuke asked, sounding resigned.

Naruto sat up and leaned against his forearm so he could see Sasuke's face. "Do the trial thing Tsunade suggested," he said quietly. His hand slowly slid up to Sasuke's neck and curled there gently. "I swear I'll do anything you want if they don't punish them. Just… just give Konoha a chance to make things right."

Biting down on the inside of his cheek so he wouldn't add anything more and become obnoxious, Naruto waited, his eyes locked with Sasuke's. Unsurprisingly, he couldn't tell what was going on in Sasuke's mind. He could only hope that Sasuke would tell him.

"Akatsuki will be here in three days," Sasuke said after a minute or two. "That should be enough for the clan leaders to pass judgment, one way or the other."

Beaming, Naruto kissed him again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Three times when Sasuke didn't want anybody's help, and one time when he did**

_A/N: thanks as always for your support and reviews_

Sasuke stood very straight, hoping to make himself appear taller in front of the shinobi. The man looked down at him with a sad smile.

"Come on, Sasuke. You're smart enough to see why this is not possible."

Sasuke's fists clenched, and he raised his chin defiantly. "I can take care of myself."

The man sighed. "You're too young to live on your own."

"I'm not. There's a kid in my class who's been living alone for years."

The man's expression darkened, and he looked away for a moment. "That's different. He's…" He seemed to struggle for the right word, then gave up. "I mean, we can't let anything happen to you. A lot of people volunteered to let you live with them. I'm sure you'll like—"

"If you force me to live with someone, I'll run away."

The man sighed again. He crouched in front of Sasuke so that they were at eye level. "Who will cook for you?" he asked gently. "Who will do your laundry? Who will take care of you when you're hurt or sick?"

The questions made Sasuke's stomach roil in a very unpleasant fashion. He'd helped his mother cook, sometimes, but he wasn't very good at it. He'd watched her do the laundry, and he thought he could remember what products she had used. As for the rest…

He crossed his arms and scowled. "I can take care of myself," he repeated.

The shinobi observed him for a few seconds. "We can try," he said at last, standing again. "And when you see how hard it is, you can always come and ask for help. All right?"

Sasuke didn't reply. He didn't need anyone's help.

A last time, the shinobi sighed. "Come on, then. Let's see where you're going to live."

…

It started on their first assignment, the first time Kakashi tested them with those damn bells. Sasuke had wanted to win on his own, but it turned out to be a team thing. Stupid test.

Then on their first real mission, his idiot of a teammate plunged into the fight against Haku that should have been his. He didn't care that Naruto probably saved him. He would have found a way to win that fight by himself. Stupid mission.

It continued after that. Sasuke was doing his best to become stronger, but always Kakashi, Sakura, or Naruto would stand in his way by _helping_. Stupid team.

Time after time, it was the same. Sasuke felt stifled. He wasn't growing and gaining strength the way he needed to. He did learn new techniques – he learned to use chidori with Kakashi – but it wasn't enough to win against Gaara. All he could do was watch Naruto fight – and win. Stupid dead last.

Worse than everything, he was letting himself be distracted from his mission as an avenger. Itachi said it himself when their paths crossed. Sasuke wasn't strong enough, and neither was his hate. He knew who to blame for that – the same person who had tried to help him across the years. The person who had interfered in a thousand different ways. The person who had made him feel things that weren't hate.

Stupid Naruto.

…

Madara tilted his head, apparently observing Sasuke very closely; it was hard to tell what he was looking at or what he thought with his mask, and Sasuke was always very careful when he talked to him.

"If you're so sure he'll come to you," Madara said slowly, "we might as well come along and capture him then."

Sasuke shook his head. "He'll come, but if he sees other people there, he'll run. No, it's better if I fight him alone."

He forced his body to slouch in the throne-like chair, giving an appearance of being at ease and relaxed when in fact he was anything but. He held on to the charade. The last thing he wanted was for Madara to become even more suspicious than he already was.

"Fight him," Madara repeated, "and let yourself be captured, you mean."

Sasuke inclined his head.

"You're just making things more complicated than they have to be." Madara's visible eye suddenly swirled with the sharingan, proof if need be of how much he didn't like Sasuke's plan. "As soon as we've harnessed the Nine Tails' power, you'll be able to destroy Konoha with just a flick of your little finger."

"And they'd die not knowing why," Sasuke said with an exasperated sigh. "I want them to know who is destroying them. And why. I want to do it myself."

Madara leaned forward, his gaze sharpening. "I thought you asked your team to join you there."

It was a good thing, Sasuke thought a little wryly, that he had thought of every detail beforehand. "I did. They'll support me. But I will be the one putting the Elders and Danzou to death. No one else."

In the silence that followed, Sasuke imagined that Madara was examining his words, trying to find a flaw or contradiction. He could look all he wanted; Sasuke wasn't lying. He merely wasn't saying the entire truth.

"I might come and watch your fight," Madara said finally. "To see what techniques the jinchuuriki uses."

Sasuke's heart felt like it skipped a beat, but he didn't let it show. "Do as you wish as long as you don't interfere. Naruto's mine to deal with."

…

"Akatsuki will be here in three days," Sasuke said after a minute or two. "That should be enough for the clan leaders to pass judgment, one way or the other."

Beaming, Naruto kissed him again. It was slow, and sweet, and perfect, and right in the middle of it, Naruto's stomach rumbled loudly.

Sasuke broke away and huffed, rolling his eyes. "Now I know where I stand in the grand scheme of things. Just below food."

Embarrassed, Naruto grinned goofily. "Sorry."

Sasuke sat up. Naruto caught the slight wince that crossed his face and was caught between feeling guilty and proud that he had caused it.

"Come on," Sasuke said as he stood. "Let's wash up, and then I'll treat you to lunch now that I've got some money back."

Naruto watched him walk away, his eyes locked on a lovely and very bare ass. Sasuke glanced back at him, smirking. Naruto closed his mouth and wiped away a bit of drool before hurrying after him into the bathroom.

It was strange how showering with someone to help wash your back – and other delicate parts – could take much longer than showering on your own. Then again, it was much more enjoyable, too.

It was early in the afternoon when they finally left the apartment and walked out of the Uchiha district.

"So, what do you want to eat?" Sasuke asked.

"Have you been gone long enough to forget Naruto's love of ramen, Sasuke-kun?"

At once, Naruto and Sasuke looked to their right. Leaning against the wall that delimited the district, a well-worn book in his hands, Kakashi was grinning behind his mask.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed. "I thought you were in a mission in the Land of Wind!"

Kakashi pushed away from the wall and slipped his book into his belt pouch. "I was. I came back this morning. I heard rumors that Sasuke was back, and I had to come see for myself."

He tilted his head to one side, and his eyes ran over Sasuke from head to toe. Sasuke let out a little annoyed huff and crossed his arms.

"What am I, a spectacle?"

Kakashi's expression hardened ever so slightly. "No, you're a lucky shinobi. I can't think of any missing nin who was ever allowed to return to his village without having his chakra paths burned at least temporarily."

A shiver ran down Naruto's back. The Elders had raised the idea the night Naruto had brought Sasuke back, but thankfully it hadn't come to pass.

"He came back of his own free will," Naruto pointed out.

"Did he?" Kakashi asked, sounding skeptical. His gaze shifted from Naruto back to Sasuke. "That means you'd have come back if Naruto-kun hadn't run off to drag you back?"

Naruto's eyes turned to Sasuke, who looked at him. His features revealed nothing.

"I was always planning to come back to Konoha eventually," Sasuke said. "I just wasn't sure what I would be coming back for."

Sasuke's eyebrows rose for a second. A smile pushed to Naruto's lips. Locking his hands behind his head, he looked away and tried to silence that little voice that said food was overrated, and it'd have been much better to stay home together.

"I guess you figured that out," Kakashi said, an edge of laughter to his voice. "Come on, let's go eat. My treat. As a tribute to Team Seven."

The three of them started walking together. Naruto snorted.

"You never treated us as Team Seven!"

"I did too!" Kakashi protested. "That one time when we were on a mission in—"

"But you got that meal reimbursed! It doesn't count!"

Kakashi shrugged. "It's the intention that counts."

Naruto caught Sasuke's attention and rolled his eyes in Kakashi's direction. Sasuke shook his head, smiling thinly for a second. The smile disappeared as he looked ahead. Naruto followed his gaze and realized that they were already at the Ichiraku stand. His amusement faded as well.

"You know," he said, shifting from one foot to the other, "I don't think I'm in the mood for ramen…"

Teuchi's voice rose from inside the stand. "My best customer not in the mood for ramen, what has the world come to?"

Laughing, Kakashi pushed the banners aside to let Naruto and Sasuke in. They exchanged a glance and entered the stand together. Rather than sitting at once, Naruto gave Teuchi a wary look.

"Welcome back, Naruto!" the old man said, maybe a little too brightly. "Come in, sit down!" His eyes shifted to Sasuke, and his smile tensed a little. "Uchiha-san." He inclined his head slightly. "Please sit."

Naruto gave Sasuke a sideways look, questioning him with his eyes. Sasuke shrugged before slowly sitting down next to Kakashi. Naruto sat on Sasuke's other side, and the three of them ordered. Teuchi was once again very formal when serving Sasuke. It was a bit strange, but it was certainly better than his refusal to serve him on Sasuke's first day in town.

"Speaking of Uchiha," Kakashi said as they started eating, "now that the district is back to your name, Sasuke-kun, are you going to lease the houses? My building is being renovated, and I'm looking for a place to stay."

Sasuke sounded surprised when he replied. "I haven't thought about it."

His chopsticks lowered halfway back to the bowl, Naruto froze. It all made sense, suddenly. He leaned forward to look at Kakashi beyond Sasuke, and pointed his chopstick at him beneath Sasuke's nose.

"So Tsunade didn't trust ANBU to keep both of us under surveillance, huh? She sent you to babysit us."

Sasuke pushed Naruto's hand – and his flailing chopstick – away in an absentminded gesture. Behind him, Kakashi didn't look up from his bowl of ramen as he answered almost cheerfully, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Naruto snorted and returned to his food. Kakashi wasn't fooling him for a minute. He felt vaguely insulted that Tsunade felt it necessary to add yet another guard over Sasuke. At the same time, though, he knew why she had, and he couldn't blame her. After all, Sasuke had managed to slip out of the village despite being under surveillance – and he had all but admitted he was planning murders.

After a moment, Sasuke said, "If you want to live there, that's fine. There are empty apartments in my building. You can have one."

This time, the chopsticks stopped halfway to Naruto's mouth. He stared at Sasuke with wide eyes. Kakashi seemed surprised as well. Sasuke seemed completely unaffected by their stares.

"If she sent you to keep an eye on me, you must know a lot."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything.

"Like what's going to happen in three days," Sasuke insisted.

After a few silent seconds had trickled by, Kakashi finally said, "Maybe."

Sasuke nodded, apparently satisfied. "The more people around to protect the dobe," he muttered, "the better."

Naruto started protesting, but Kakashi stood. He paid for their meals and nodded.

"Well, I've got to go. I'll see you two later. Don't do anything stupid until then."

Naruto buried a grumble in his bowl. Kakashi was just getting away before he could order again. It wasn't like he wouldn't be trailing them anyway.

He finished eating under Sasuke's slightly impatient eyes, and they finally left the stand together. Hands buried in his pockets, Naruto repeatedly kicked at a small rock in front of him.

"You're awfully gloomy for someone who just had three helpings of his favorite dish," Sasuke commented after a little while.

Naruto grumbled something under his breath.

"What was that?"

"I said, you didn't need to call me dobe."

"Come on, you know you missed it."

Naruto glared at him. "I missed a lot of things while you were gone. But you insulting me? Not so much. What idiot would miss being insulted on a daily basis?"

Naruto had taken a couple more steps in the almost empty street before he realized Sasuke had stopped. He turned back toward him, finding a strange look in Sasuke's eyes.

"I missed it," Sasuke said quietly.

Speechless, Naruto stared at him. The warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of his stomach was most peculiar.

"Well, that's because you're a bastard," he muttered.

He could have sworn Sasuke grinned before he turned on his heel and entered the clothes shop on his right. Frowning, Naruto hurried after him. The shop was filled with traditional outfits and elaborate kimonos. Keeping his hands in his pockets, Naruto looked around, feeling very glad that he wasn't from a big clan. He would have hated wearing these too long, too ample clothes. He slowly made his way to the counter where Sasuke was talking to the seamstress.

"I always keep ceremonial kimonos for all the major clans," the gray-haired woman was saying. "I should have some left with the Uchiha fan. Let me check…"

She disappeared into a back room, returning after a moment with her arms full of kimonos in different colors. Sasuke sorted through the pile, picking two dark gray kimonos.

"I need them fitted now."

She nodded. "Of course, this way."

Naruto yawned as he watched Sasuke disappear in the backroom. This was a terrible way to spend their day. They could have done a lot of other things, much more interesting things. He blushed as he thought about it, his mouth suddenly very dry. With the half-formed desire to see Sasuke without his clothes again, he entered the back room. Sadly, Sasuke was fully clothed in one of the kimonos, standing on a small pedestal while the seamstress pinned the hems and sleeves.

"Why do you want that, anyway?" he asked, a little bored. "You can't fight in a kimono."

Sasuke replied in a perfectly blank voice. "If I'm going to ask for clan justice, I have to look the part."

Naruto nodded, though in truth he didn't really get it. He didn't see what dressing up had to do with asking for justice. Maybe it was a clan thing. It wasn't as though he'd know anything about that.

When the seamstress was done, Sasuke slipped the kimono off – he was fully dressed underneath – and pointed at Naruto.

"The other one is for him."

Naruto gaped at him. He had to have heard that wrong. "What?"

Sasuke motioned for him to step forward. "Come on here. Put it on."

Instinctively, Naruto took a step back, raising his hands defensively in front of him. "But I don't—"

Sasuke didn't let him finish. "Partners, remember?" he said, his voice toneless.

Swallowing heavily, Naruto blinked. His throat felt tight but he managed to push out a quiet, "OK."

He felt very silly when the seamstress had him slip the kimono on, tied it just so for him, and had him stand with his arms raised on either side of him as she worked on the hem. When he glanced down, however, and saw the red and white fan over his heart, then when he looked at Sasuke, he decided that he could stand feeling foolish a little longer. If Sasuke kept smiling, it was worth it.


	14. Chapter 14

**Three times when Sasuke got angry, and one time when he remained calm**

_A/N: Thanks for all your encouragements, reviews and recommendations. Thanks also to Kantayra for the bestest birthday story ever _

Holding his breath in anticipation, Sasuke lifted the top of the box. He had waited for this moment for months. He was one year older today. He was going to receive real kunai, he was sure of it. He was old enough and—

He tried not to let his disappointment show on his face when he discovered, nestled in the cardboard box, a set of new wooden kunai, very much like the ones he had received two years earlier for his fourth birthday.

"Thank you," he said, looking in turn at his mother, then his father.

They nodded at him, smiling, unaware of how close he was to crying. At the end of the table, Itachi crossed his arms and frowned lightly.

"I'll… go train outside," Sasuke murmured. Picking up the box that suddenly seemed to weigh a ton, he stood from the breakfast table and walked out to the garden. There, he set the box on the ground and approached the tree that, just the day before, Itachi had been using as target practice. Sasuke could see the marks his kunai and shuriken had left in the bark. Without thinking, he struck the trunk with his small fist. Pain shot through his hand, but he didn't let out a sound. Pinching his lips tightly together, he struck again, hard. With each blow, his anger seemed to grow.

How did they expect him to get any better if he couldn't really train? It just wasn't fair. Itachi had told him, boasting, that he had already been using real weapons at five and a half. Sasuke had been so sure he'd get real ones for his birthday. And now—

"Silly little brother."

Grunting at the pain from his last punch, Sasuke turned on his heel to face Itachi and glared at him.

"I'm not silly!" he shouted, his fists shaking at his sides.

Itachi was smirking. "Yes, you are. You're mad because you think you didn't get what you wanted. You think beating up a tree is going to help?"

Sasuke glared harder but didn't answer, wishing with all his heart that Itachi would just go and leave him be for now. He was a little surprised when Itachi actually did turn away and walk back toward the house. He soon returned, however, Sasuke's birthday present in his hands. He handed it to Sasuke, saying, "Open it."

Automatically, Sasuke took the box, but he didn't open it. "I know what's inside," he muttered.

"Open it," Itachi repeated. "Stop being angry over nothing, and look properly this time."

Puzzled despite himself, Sasuke looked down at the box and lifted the lid. The same wooden kunai were there, but a ray of sunlight fell in, and something glinted beneath the child's weapons. His eyes widening, Sasuke reached in, pushed the fake kunai aside and found, beneath them, the gift he had been hoping for.

His anger dissipating at once, he looked up at Itachi, only to receive a light poke in the center of his forehead.

"Silly little brother," he repeated, clearly amused. "There wasn't anything to get mad about, was there?"

…

Another hotel. Another frantic description of Naruto. Another negative response.

Sasuke turned on his heel and started running again, fists clenched, heart pounding frantically in his chest.

He couldn't believe it. He couldn't _fucking_ believe it. Itachi had been in Konoha, and it wasn't even for him. Itachi had been in Konoha, and no one would have told Sasuke if he hadn't heard about it by accident. Itachi had been in Konoha – and he had been looking for _Naruto_, of all people.

A little ahead of him, on the right, he noticed another hotel. He ran to it. This time, the innkeeper nodded. For a few moments, Sasuke's anger dimmed, replaced by the satisfaction of having found what Itachi wanted. Soon, he'd confront his brother, and—

But it wasn't Naruto who opened the door to him. Naruto was elsewhere. Dead, perhaps, already. Hurt. Or fighting Itachi, and maybe robbing Sasuke of his reason for living. He wasn't sure which possibility angered him most.

Nails digging into his palms until they drew blood, Sasuke only ran faster.

…

Anger burned through Sasuke's veins. He let it out in a giant ball of fire. A hundred yards away, century-old trees exploded from the intensity of the heat.

"Is that helping anything?" Juugo asked, somewhere behind him.

Sasuke didn't reply. Drawing a deep breath, he prepared to release the katon jutsu again. The forest would burn, like his mind was burning, like his heart was, like his life and everything he had ever been had been burned to ashes with just a few words from Madara.

Fire erupted again, the flames bigger, brighter than before.

"Hey, watch it. We're actually _in_ the forest. You realize that, right?"

Still, he ignored Juugo, like he had tried to ignore Madara's words. But these words still echoed in him, fanning the flames of his anger and forcing him to release it somehow. He had kept it hidden as long as he had been able to, but in the end, he had slipped away to find a quiet place where he could let it all out. He wished now that he had stopped Juugo when the man had followed him.

Juugo's hand rested on his shoulder, barely there, yet oppressing. Sasuke shrugged, but he didn't let go.

"Juugo," he warned.

"It doesn't help, Sasuke-san," Juugo said, his voice very calm. "Anger never helps anyone, and especially people like us, who can do so much damage without even trying."

Sasuke looked back at him. Juugo didn't even flinch when confronted by Sasuke's mangekyou eyes.

"It doesn't help," Juugo said again.

Sasuke closed his eyes and lowered his head. He knew it didn't help. He'd been angry for so long, and to what result?

"Let's go back," he muttered.

Behind Sasuke, the forest kept burning; his anger, deep inside him, did the same.

…

Naruto felt very silly when the seamstress had him slip the kimono on, tied it just so for him, and had him stand with his arms raised on either side of him as she worked on the hem. When he glanced down, however, and saw the red and white fan over his heart, then when he looked at Sasuke, he decided that he could stand feeling foolish a little longer. If Sasuke kept smiling, it was worth it.

Sasuke's smile, however, had vanished long before they left the store with a promise from the seamstress that she'd send the kimonos to the district by the end of the afternoon.

"What are you frowning about, anyway?" Naruto asked him as they were strolling toward the Uchiha district.

Sasuke threw him a cool look, one eyebrow raised questioningly, though he didn't say a word.

"You were in a good mood earlier," Naruto elaborated, feeling heat take over his face as he remembered _why_ Sasuke had been in good spirits. "And now you're all…" He shrugged. "Moody. As always."

Sasuke's look turned into a mild glare. "I am _not_ moody. Ever."

"Right. You're just a cold bastard. Any particular reason for it now?"

Sasuke grunted. "Just thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

"About what I'll tell the clan leaders."

"Oh." Hands in his pockets, Naruto kept quiet for a few seconds to let Sasuke think - although he didn't really understand why Sasuke needed to think about it that much. Surely, he knew what he wanted to say? "So, when are you going to talk to them, anyway?"

"As soon as possible. I've got to talk to your Hokage and—"

Naruto stopped walking and waited until Sasuke has stopped as well before he looked back at him. "Why do you keep calling her _my_ Hokage? You're in Konoha, too."

"For now, I am. That doesn't mean it's my village."

Naruto reached to Sasuke's forehead and poked it with a finger. The metal of his forehead protector clanked softly. Sasuke blinked and frowned absently, his eyes taking a faraway look.

"As long as you're wearing that," Naruto said, "Konoha is your village, and the old hag's your Hokage. Are you sending word to her? Or are we going there?"

"A note will be fine. We're almost home, anyway."

It didn't take long for Sasuke to write his message. Naruto immediately created a clone, who took off with the scroll toward the Hokage Tower. Naruto then looked at Sasuke, grinning impishly.

"So, what do you want to do now?"

Judging by Sasuke's heated look, he wanted the same thing Naruto did.

Running through Konoha toward the Hokage Tower, the clone knew that one of their ANBU guards was following him. It didn't matter; it wasn't as though he was up to any mischief. He knew, also, what the original Naruto had been thinking about when he had created him; it just wasn't fair that he was missing all the fun.

Tsunade received him a couple of minutes after the guard at her door announced his arrival. The clone strode in, his face brightening as he saw his friends standing by the desk

"Sakura-chan! Shikamaru! Still working on that plan to protect he village?"

Both Shikamaru and Tsunade rolled their eyes at him before looking at the maps on the desk again, while Sakura, standing across the desk from Shikamaru, clucked her tongue at him.

"Why don't you say it even louder, Naruto? I don't think they heard you in Suna."

Rubbing the back of his head, Naruto smiled, embarrassed. "Sorry," he said, more subdued. "Granny, I've got a message for you from Sasuke."

All eyes turned to him at that, and watched as he handed the scroll to Tsunade. She read it before looking up at Naruto. She seemed a little relieved.

"I wouldn't have believed it, but it seems like you're having a good influence on Sasuke."

Naruto grinned. "I try."

She snorted and handed the scroll to Shizune. "Send messages to the clan leaders," she instructed her. "Ask them to come here tonight at nightfall."

Shizune nodded before hurrying from the room. His mission accomplished, Naruto started saying his goodbyes, wanting to dispel and join what was going on in the apartment. Tsunade stopped him.

"Wait. Tell me something. Will Sasuke fight with us when Akatsuki comes?"

Taken aback that she would ask him, Naruto shrugged. "I really don't know. He said he would protect me, but that doesn't mean he'll fight with us. You know how Sasuke can be."

Shikamaru snorted lightly before leaning over the desk and its maps again. "Better be ready, then."

Frowning, Tsunade walked around the desk and came to stand by Naruto. She observed him for a few seconds in silence. "_You_ will fight with us, won't you."

Although she phrased it like a question, the tone of her voice left no doubt that she trusted he would.

"Of course," Naruto replied. "I'm not stupid. They're after me, I'll do all I can to stop them."

Her eyes continued to pierce him. "And after the fight?"

Naruto shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't know. It depends on that trial."

"You'd really become an enemy of Konoha?" she challenged.

He crossed his arms and refused to back down. "I don't want to. But if that's what it takes to get justice for Sasuke's family—"

To his surprise, Sakura stepped forward, standing by her mentor in front of him, mirroring her stance. "What Sasuke-kun wants is not justice, Naruto. He never wanted justice. He told us the first day we became Team Seven." She paused, maybe waiting for Naruto to finish her thought. When he refused to, she said it, her voice shaking lightly. "He's an avenger. He wants revenge."

"And if I was in his shoes, I'd want revenge, too," Naruto said darkly.

"Would you?" Tsunade said, raising a hand to stop Naruto when he opened his mouth to answer. "No, don't answer now. Think about it, so that if you have to make that decision, it's truly yours, and not your hormones talking." Her eyes flickered to his forehead and she grimaced. "And for crying out loud, get a new forehead protector. You're not a missing-nin. At least not yet."

Without thinking, he raised a hand to touch the cool metal. "It's just a scratch," he muttered.

"I don't care. Get a new one. Especially if you plan to be at the trial tonight."

There was something in her eyes, and it took a moment for Naruto to recognize it. It had been a long time since he had seen Tsunade afraid. For a second or two, he wondered what she was afraid of, but it wasn't all that hard to figure out. She was afraid for him. She was afraid she would have to declare him an enemy of Konoha. He swallowed hard and nodded.

"I'll get a new one," he said softly, and left the office to do just that, bringing the new forehead protector back to the district before he finally dispelled.

The sun had not completely disappeared yet when Naruto and Sasuke set off for the Tower that evening, both of them wearing the kimonos embroidered with the Uchiha fan. It lit the sky in hues or red and orange that made it seem as though the village were on fire. Naruto shuddered at the thought. It couldn't possibly be a good omen.

He still felt a little silly to be dressed so formally, and he kept looking at Sasuke wistfully, wishing he could look as good as Sasuke did in those clothes. Although Sasuke without clothes was also very nice…

Even those thoughts did not distract him long, and try as he might to remain calm, as calm as Sasuke seemed to be, Naruto couldn't help the feeling of anxiousness that was tying his stomach in knots. He'd been able to keep his mind off the trial all afternoon long, too busy discovering what made Sasuke pant or moan to worry much, but now he had nothing else to think about. It wasn't so much the prospect of the trial that troubled him so. Instead, it was the thought of what would happen after the judgment was passed. The trial did not concern him directly, and yet a lot was at stake for his own future.

Tsunade had sent Shizune to wait for them at the door, and she guided them to a large room in the same corridor as the Hokage's office. The three clan leaders were already there, seated behind a long table, talking softly amongst themselves. Naruto recognized Chouji's father on the left, Shino's on the right, and Hinata's in between them, all looking grim and solemn. Tsunade sat on the left side, alone at a small table. Naruto couldn't remember when he had last seen her wear such elaborate Hokage robes – or even if he ever had.

Shizune had them sit at a table that faced the clan leaders, leaving just three empty chairs on the side of the room. The heavy doors of the room closed, and silence fell. Hyuuga Hiashi stood at the center of the long table.

"Uchiha Sasuke. We will hear your grievance now."

Naruto shifted on his chair, uncomfortable at how all eyes were suddenly directed at him and Sasuke. Sasuke stood and started talking, his voice very even and cool. Naruto tried not to fidget, which was more and more difficult as time passed and he realized that all three clan leaders kept glancing at him even as they listened to Sasuke. Partners or not, he was suddenly wondering why he had thought accompanying Sasuke was a good idea. It wasn't as though Sasuke needed help. He was already finished exposing his case, sitting down again, and judging by their expressions, the clan leaders had been shocked by his words.

Hyuuga stood again. "We will now interview the accused. Bring them in."

The doors opened, and four ANBU guards escorted the Elders and Danzou to the unoccupied tables on the side of the room. Naruto looked at Sasuke, half-expecting that he would have to restrain him from getting his revenge there and then. He was mildly surprised to discover that Sasuke remained impassive, his face expressionless and his eyes black, with no hint of sharingan. Sasuke's eyes flickered toward him, and his eyebrow raised slightly, as though in a question. Naruto gave him a tense smile, barely hearing the explanation that was given to the Elders and Danzou about why they had been brought there.

"How dare you!" Mitokado Homura cried, his voice shaking in outrage. "You have no right to question us!"

"I refuse to answer!" Utatane Koharu added, sounding just as upset. "I have worked all my life for the good of Konoha. That is all I have to say."

"Understand that we have heard grave accusations against you," Hyuuga said again. "If you do not defend yourselves, we will have no other choice but to consider your silence as an admission."

"Everything I ever did was for the good of Konoha," the woman said again, and sitting, crossed her arms as though signifying she would not say a word more.

"Danzou-sama?" the clan leader said. "Do you want to defend yourself?"

Danzou stood, his back very straight, his visible eye flashing furiously.

"This trial is ridiculous. Uchiha Sasuke is the one who should be tried for leaving Konoha against orders and working with known enemies of the village. I demand—"

"He did not work—" Naruto started protesting, but Danzou stopped him, raising his voice to cover Naruto's.

"Uzumaki Naruto. You have no status to speak here. The only reason you are in here is that Uchiha is using you to intimidate the clan leaders. If you're unable to see that, at least respect this court and remain quiet."

Livid, Naruto started rising to his feet. He had to keep a tight control on himself not to let the Kyuubi leak chakra. How did that man, that murderer, dare suggest that Naruto was letting himself be used—

"Calm down," Sasuke said softly, tugging at Naruto's sleeve until he sat down again. "He's trying to disrupt the trial, or make you disrupt it. Don't fall for his game. I called on this court first. It will have to answer my request before it moves to any other matter."

Across from them, the clan leaders nodded. "You are right, Uchiha Sasuke. And we will answer you."

Tsunade stood, and before she even said a word, all eyes turned to her. "I request that you give an answer by sunset in two days."

"Such a request is unusual," Shino's father replied, frowning.

His reaction didn't seem to touch her. "It has been done before during the war."

"But we're not at war."

"Yes, we are. We received information that an attack is imminent. The village gates are closed, and all missions are suspended. I signed the order not an hour ago."

The Elders both stood while Danzou wavered, apparently shocked speechless.

"Why weren't we consulted?" the woman shrieked.

Tsunade stared at her, her eyes cold as winter. "You asked me to be Hokage. You entrusted Konoha to me. I'm doing my work."

She bowed toward the clan leaders' table before stepping out, her step regal, without another look at the Elders or Danzou. Sasuke stood and bowed as well. Taking his cue from him, Naruto did the same, and they followed Tsunade out.

"Thank you," Sasuke called after her, surprising her and Naruto enough that they both stared at him.

"Don't thank me," Tsunade said, her features almost grim. "I didn't do it for you."

Sasuke snorted. "Fair enough. I'm not doing it for you, either."

They both looked at Naruto. He frowned at them. "What?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Nothing, dead last. Nothing."

Remembering what Sasuke had said earlier about insults – and realizing that they were as close to endearments as he was likely to get – Naruto shrugged off the cold word. "So, what now?"

It was Tsunade who answered. She looked tired suddenly, and much older. "Now we wait." Her eyes dropped to the white and red embroidery over Naruto's chest and she grimaced. "In two days, we'll know if you two will have reason to become enemies of Konoha or not."


	15. Chapter 15

**Three times when Sasuke wanted time to go faster, and one time when he wanted it to stop.**

_Many thanks to all reviewers and to my beta extraordinaire, Kantayra._

Resting a hand against the bark of the tree, Sasuke stretched to the tip of his toes, reaching for the kunai that had missed its mark and hit the tree too high. His fingers just brushed against the handle, but he couldn't get a grip on it. He tried to make himself taller, but all he managed to do was lose his balance and stumble back.

Gritting his teeth, he glared at the offending weapon. He wished he was taller. Stronger. Better at what he was doing. He was tired of being a little boy, of everyone seeing him as a little boy. He would show them how good he was – just as soon as he got a little older.

Determined to try again, he approached the tree and this time jumped. He touched the kunai, but still couldn't grasp it.

"Let me help."

Itachi was there, suddenly, and pulling the kunai free with no effort. Sasuke sulked as he took the kunai from him.

"I don't want help," he muttered. "I want to grow up."

Itachi poked his forehead with a finger, smiling indulgently even as Sasuke glared at him. "You are growing up, silly. Didn't you have a birthday just last week?"

Sasuke huffed. "And that changed nothing! I want to be bigger like you! And be stronger. And join ANBU, too!"

He stopped himself before letting slip that maybe, then, their father would praise his accomplishments, too.

Itachi's smile wavered. He looked away, his eyes suddenly darkening. "If that's why you want to grow up, take your time, little brother. It's not as much fun as you think, believe me."

Sasuke watched him go away, shoulders slumped and head low, wondering what that was about. Remembering the kunai in his hand, he turned to face the tree again. Whatever Itachi said, he had no time to lose.

…

Sasuke wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and stood again, ready to parry the next attack, or to launch his own.

On the other side of the room, Orochimaru looked at him with a calculating look. "We're done for today, Sasuke-kun. Have Kabuto heal you, then get some rest."

Letting out a small noise that might have passed for agreement, Sasuke left the training room and limped back to his bedroom. He had learned that it was useless to argue with Orochimaru when he decided that Sasuke had had enough training for a day. That didn't mean he intended to follow his instructions. He was not going to ask for Kabuto's help, and he certainly wasn't going to rest when he had several jutsu scrolls to study.

As he cleaned up, he was scowling at nothing in particular. More and more often, lately, he'd been taken by the irksome feeling that Orochimaru was not training him as hard as he could have and instead was deliberately holding Sasuke back. The thought maddened Sasuke. The faster he learned, the faster he could kill Itachi, the easier it might be to be accepted back in Konoha – not that Orochimaru knew about that particular plan.

When, still limping but feeling somewhat better, he went to sit at his desk and opened the first scroll, his mind insisted on drifting back to Konoha. He wondered what Naruto was doing, and whether he was still running senselessly after him. It had been two years already, and Sasuke was a little surprised – a little hurt, too – that his ex-teammate hadn't burst through the door yet with the laughable claim that he'd bring Sasuke back home.

Two years that time had slowed down to a crawl. Something had to break soon or he'd turn as insane as his so-called sensei.

…

Hawk finally left, with much grumbling from Karin's part and much eye-rolling from Suigetsu. Sasuke sat, his legs dangling over the edge of the statue. Water rushed by him, the sound deafening. He hadn't remembered the water being so loud. In his memories, all he could hear were Naruto's shouts and his own, and the crackling of chakra when their attacks met.

He hoped Naruto would arrive soon. He was getting antsy. He'd been waiting for this moment for years, it seemed. He wanted it done and over with, already – even more so since he needed to lose this time.

Something changed. Sasuke smiled before schooling his features. He stood. Things were about to start.

…

Naruto's ears were buzzing. They'd been buzzing for a little while now – although he couldn't have said if it had started before or after the bed had made that ominous cracking sound. They'd have to check if it was broken.

Later.

They could check later.

For now, Naruto was happy to lie in Sasuke's maybe-broken bed. In _their_ maybe-broken bed. With Sasuke. With a very naked, kinda sticky, nicely warmed-up Sasuke.

He definitely could get used to this. Although he wished he'd had enough energy left to move a bit. Sasuke's shoulder was just a bit too bony to be comfortable for long.

"We should be training."

Naruto's answer to that slightly morose pronouncement was – just a bit – on the incoherent side. How could Sasuke still form complete sentences, let alone suggest moving?

"At least," Sasuke continued, apparently determined to ruin Naruto's afterglow, "we should go see what the plan is."

Naruto grumbled. Sasuke was just an insensitive jerk. Which, granted, was nothing new, but couldn't he see that Naruto had no desire to move or leave the apartment? Not ever again?

"You're a very bad influence on me."

That got Naruto's attention enough that he cracked an eye open. All he could see was Sasuke's chin. With a groan, he pulled back, resting his head on a pillow that was softer yet less comfy than his lover.

"Bad influence?" he mumbled. "Me?"

Sasuke turned his head toward him. He looked dead serious.

"You make me stay in bed when there's an attack coming."

Naruto snorted into his pillow. Sasuke's logic seemed to have flown out a window. He needed to be set straight.

"I make you feel _good_," he pointed out, smugness coloring his words.

Sasuke's eyebrows twitched. His voice turned almost accusing. "You make me bottom."

"Only half the time."

Sasuke huffed. "That's still way too much."

With a light groan, Naruro pushed himself up, resting his weight on his forearm. He looked straight at Sasuke, daring him to lie. "You're saying you don't enjoy yourself when I top? You seemed to really like it in the shower when I did that thing with—"

The barest hint of pink colored Sasuke's cheeks. He sputtered and interrupted Naruto. "You made me hold hands with you!"

Naruto's eyes widened in outrage. "I made you? You held my hand first, you girl!"

It was Sasuke's turn to try for smugness. "As I recall it, you were the one screaming like a girl when I—"

"I…I make you smile!" Naruto stammered.

"Only more proof that you're corrupting me."

Naruto grinned and delivered the fatal blow. "But you're cute when you smile."

Sasuke did not say a word. His glare, on the other hand, promised Naruto many different kinds of torture – and none of these the pleasant kind.

"And I make you talk, too," Naruto pushed his luck, turning serious suddenly. "You've talked more to me in the past four days than the entire time we were teammates."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at him. "The last proof if need be that you're messing up my mind. Who would want to talk to a dead last like you?"

Without batting an eyelash, Naruto replied deadpan, "A bastard like you?"

They stared at each other for a moment longer. At the same time, they leaned in for a kiss, battling for dominance. The brief thought flittered over Naruto's mind that he couldn't remember whose turn it was to top. It didn't really matter, though. They'd figure it out.

Naruto woke up to find himself alone in bed. He grimaced. Why was Sasuke gone? And more importantly, where was he?

He sat up and blinked sleep out of his eyes. Grabbing his boxers from where they'd fallen under Sasuke's assault, he walked out of the bedroom. It wasn't long before he found Sasuke. He was in the bathroom, standing in front of the sink, washing his face. Quite sadly, he was dressed. Naruto crept closer, already thinking of ways to remedy to that when he noticed that the water swirling down the sink was pink.

"Sasuke? Are you all right?"

Sasuke straightened and met Naruto's eyes in the mirror. Naruto flinched when he saw the unusual red pinwheels, but they soon disappeared.

"I'm fine," Sasuke said blankly. He turned and faced Naruto. "Did I wake you? I didn't mean to."

"No, you didn't." He couldn't help grinning goofily. "Not this time."

The shadow of a smile danced over Sasuke's lips. "I was going to leave you a note. I'm going out for a while."

"Oh. OK. Just give me a minute—"

"No, I mean… I need to be alone for a bit."

The words stung a bit, and it must have shown on Naruto's face because Sasuke sighed. "What I mean is, I need to think. And having you nearby makes it kind of hard."

Naruto couldn't resist; the opening was just too good. "Only kind of hard?" he said, tongue in cheek.

Sasuke snorted. "Idiot. I'll be back before night falls."

His amusement disappearing, Naruto backed away from the door to let Sasuke out of the bathroom. "Where are you going?"

"Not far. I'll stay in the district."

Thinking fast, Naruto could only think of one place where Sasuke might be going: his parents' house. Though why he'd want to go there alone…

"Don't send a clone after me," Sasuke asked, glancing back from where he had stopped at the apartment's entrance to put his shoes on. "The ANBU guard will make sure I don't do anything stupid."

His voice dripped with sarcasm on that last part, as though he didn't believe ANBU would stop him from doing anything he meant to. Seeing how they hadn't stopped him from leaving the village to meet with his team just a few nights back, Naruto had to agree with him.

Fingers on the door handle, Sasuke was already slipping out. Naruto said his name, but the words of concern that had been on the tip of his tongue vanished when Sasuke looked at him askance. Not only would Sasuke scoff at those words, Naruto didn't think he could say them without blushing like an idiot, and he'd been doing that far too much in the past days. So instead of asking Sasuke if he was all right, he pursed his lips and batted his eyelashes at him. "Aren't you going to give me a goodbye kiss, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at him before leaving, the door slamming shut behind him. Naruto laughed for a few seconds, but his amusement faded fast. He had half a mind to go after Sasuke – after all, he had asked Naruto not to send a clone, he hadn't said Naruto himself shouldn't follow him. And there was something wrong with his eyes, Naruto reminded himself. What if he needed medical help, and there was no one there for him?

Firmly avoiding thinking of the ANBU guards, Naruto dressed up and ran out of the apartment. He still wasn't sure where Sasuke might have gone, but he trusted his first instinct and ran through the deserted street toward Sasuke's home. He was almost there when he noticed Sasuke ahead of him and slowed down. He suddenly felt a little guilty for not having given Sasuke the space he had asked for. When Sasuke stopped and looked back, Naruto expected to be yelled at. Instead, Sasuke sighed and shook his head lightly before moving forward. Deciding that the lack of insults thrown his way was as good as an invitation to follow, Naruto did just that, soon catching up with Sasuke but remaining quiet. They entered the house together though Sasuke did a very good job at pretending to be alone. Now regretting having come forward, Naruto followed Sasuke through the house and to the dojo. There, Sasuke sat by the door, legs crossed and hands gripping his ankles, and just stared ahead. Naruto sat next to him and peered in the same direction, but there was nothing there that he could see. He wanted very badly to ask why they were there, but felt loath somehow to break the silence. A few minutes passed before Sasuke finally said, almost too quietly for Naruto to catch his words, "This is where they died."

And then, when Naruto didn't reply, he added, "My parents. This is where Itachi killed them."

Naruto swallowed hard. He had known, of course, that Itachi had killed them, but he had never stopped to wonder where, or whether Sasuke had seen them. He thought he could understand, suddenly, Sasuke's reluctance at the idea of living in this house again.

Because he couldn't think of anything else to say, he murmured a quiet, "I'm sorry." Sasuke did not reply, and a few more minutes trickled by in an even heavier silence. Naruto wished he knew what to say. He wished he had listened to Sasuke and not followed. He wished, more than anything, that he knew what was going on in Sasuke's head at that moment.

"I wonder if they knew," Sasuke said at last.

"Knew what?"

"Why Itachi…did what he did."

Naruto tried not to shrug. "Would it have changed anything if they did?"

"I don't know. But at least…" He shook his head slowly. "I spent years wondering why. Now I know why. It's not a good reason. It doesn't excuse him. It doesn't make anything hurt any less. But at least now I understand."

He turned frighteningly pleading eyes to Naruto, apparently expecting an answer. Naruto nodded jerkily and lied. "Yeah, I know."

All these years, Naruto had wondered what was going on in Sasuke's mind when he turned into his moody, silent self. He wasn't sure he wanted to know anymore. What he did want to know was how to make things better. Unfortunately, as much as he could change Sasuke, he didn't think it was within his power to fix this.

When Sasuke stood and bowed his head, Naruto slipped out of the room, giving him some privacy to pay his respects. He retraced their steps through the quiet house and waited for Sasuke outside, hands pushed deep inside his pockets as he looked around himself morosely. It had to have been a nice place to grow up.

The sun was slowly gliding toward the horizon when Sasuke walked out and joined Naruto. Without a word, they started toward the apartment. They were halfway there before Naruto managed to say what was on his mind.

"The clans will give their verdict tonight. What do they need to say to satisfy you?"

Sasuke's voice was perfectly even as he replied. "Death would be nice."

Naruto grimaced. That was what he had expected. "What if that's not what happens? What if they banish them? Or throw them in jail?"

Sasuke shrugged but did not reply. Naruto had a feeling his silence was a reply in itself. The odds of them becoming renegades had never seemed so high.

"What if they—"

"Naruto? We'll know soon enough. And until then, I don't want to think about it any more."

Kakashi was in front of their apartment, and quickly informed them that the clans were ready to pass judgment. He waited for them as they dressed once again in the Uchiha kimonos, and then they hurried to the Hokage Tower. The entire time, Naruto tried to imagine his life as a missing-nin. He'd miss Konoha, of course, and his friends. But he'd have Sasuke. He'd have a Sasuke that smiled, and talked to him, and wanted to protect him – not that he needed protecting, but it was the thought that counted.

All he hoped was that Tsunade would send people he didn't know to kill him and Sasuke, not anyone he had grown up or trained with. He knew it was unlikely, but he hoped. Helping Sasuke get justice was one thing, but hurting his friends would be beyond him.

When they entered the courtroom, when he saw the cold eyes of the clan leaders settle on him and Sasuke, what was left of Naruto's hopes vanished, and all he could do was wonder whether they'd be running from Konoha before or after Akatsuki attacked.


	16. Chapter 16

**Three times when Sasuke wouldn't admit he was scared, and one time when he did**

_A/N: Thank you as always for your support_

…

Outside, the storm raged on. Sasuke resisted the impulse to pull the covers over his head. Lying on his back in his bed, he kept his hands on his stomach, fingers intertwined, and stared up at the ceiling.

Lightning struck, followed less than a second later by deafening thunder. Sasuke shuddered and closed his eyes tight. The wind and rain continued to batter the window, rattling it.

He didn't like storms. He never had, but they'd never bothered him this much. He had always known that he was safe, that the water, light, and sound would not harm him, just like he had known that nothing would harm him. His parents wouldn't let anything happen to him.

If he had been home rather than in this apartment, he wouldn't have been scared. He'd have known his parents were just next door, as well as Itachi and –

He gritted his teeth at the thought. He was certainly safer here and now, storm or no storm. In fact, he was not afraid. Not at all. Or so he repeated to himself until he finally fell asleep as the storm faded in the distance.

…

Sasuke had never been claustrophobic, so there was no reason for him to be afraid about being locked in this wooden barrel.

He knew what the seals on the barrel were supposed to do, so there was no reason for him to be afraid he'd get hurt. The exact opposite would happen. He would get stronger, draw more power from Orochimaru's seal. This was what he wanted.

The Sound ninjas could have kidnapped him rather than inviting him to join Orochimaru and pledging to follow his orders, so he had no reason to be afraid of them.

He knew they were strong, so there was no reason for him to be worried when he heard that they were being pursued by Konoha ninjas.

This was the right decision. It was the only way for him to fulfill his purpose and avenge his clan. He hadn't made a rash decision, hadn't fallen into a trap, and he knew exactly what was going on.

So really, there was no reason for him to be scared. If he was curled in a ball, it was because the barrel was so small. If his eyes were closed tight, it was simply because there was nothing to see. If sweat was making his t-shirt cling to him uncomfortably, it was merely because it was so hot in the barrel. If he was shivering, it was because the power was slowly rising in him.

But no, he was not afraid.

…

His hand pressed to his bandage ribs, Sasuke walked a little faster to keep up with Naruto, unwilling to show he was in pain. The truth was, it wasn't only the pain that slowed his steps every so often. Konoha was just one more day ahead if they kept this pace, and then… Then came the big unknown of the equation. Everything, so far, had gone according to his plan. He knew Naruto well enough that he'd been able to anticipate everything. But once they got back to the village… The Hokage might order him jailed, or executed. That'd ruin everything. If he only knew what things were like in Konoha…

"I'm surprised they let you come alone," he said, hoping to gather some information.

Naruto glanced at him; he looked a little embarrassed, and his answer was somewhat defensive.

"Of course they did. I'm strong enough to kick your ass."

Sasuke raised an amused eyebrow. Clearly, Naruto hadn't noticed that the fight had been rigged in his favor. That was good.

Frowning at Sasuke's reaction, Naruto stopped and pointed at himself. "What, you don't believe me? I've learned great new techniques!"

Sasuke shrugged. "You didn't _use_ any new techniques."

"Well, yeah," Naruto mumbled. Linking his fingers behind his head, he started walking again without looking to see if Sasuke was still following. "_I_ wasn't trying to kill _you_."

He fell silent after that, and Sasuke realized with a pang that he had been wrong. It wasn't Konoha or the Hokage he had to be worried about. Instead, it was Naruto. He didn't know if Naruto could or would forgive him for running away – and for trying to kill him.

A cold glove of fear squeezed his heart. He took a deep breath in and tried to ignore it. There was no reason for him to be afraid. Either Naruto would forgive or he wouldn't; either he would return Sasuke's feelings or he wouldn't. Fear would not change anything now, it would only complicate things.

Keeping quiet, he caught up with Naruto once more. Naruto threw him a sideways look, but Sasuke kept his eyes on the path in front of him. Now wasn't the time to admit to anything – nor was it the time to be afraid.

…

When they entered the courtroom, when he saw the cold eyes of the clan leaders settle on him and Sasuke, what was left of Naruto's hopes vanished, and all he could do was wonder whether they'd be running from Konoha before or after Akatsuki attacked.

Swallowing heavily, he accompanied Sasuke to the table that faced the judges. Just as they were sitting, ANBU guards escorted the Elders and Danzou in. Tsunade was already seated, elbows on the table in front of her and her fingers linked in front of her face, hiding her expression. Naruto looked at her until she returned his gaze. If she knew what the clan leaders had decided, she didn't show it.

The heavy doors closed behind Naruto and Sasuke. Hyuuga Hiashi stood and faced the three accused, who were standing as well. Naruto held his breath and listened closely.

"Mitokado-sama. Utatane-sama. Danzou-sama. In deference to your age, you will be confined to your homes until you pass away. You will not be allowed visitors other than your closest family. You are forbidden to meet with or pass messages to shinobi." He paused for just a second before adding, "And your chakra will be bound."

Naruto let out a breath that sounded like a sigh even as Danzou erupted in outrage, yelling at the clan leaders, Tsunade, and Sasuke in turns. Next to him, Utatane had let herself fall back into her seat and was staring ahead of her. Mitokado was shaking, his gnarled hands fisted at his sides. His lips were moving, but no words were coming out.

Anxious to see whether this would satisfy Sasuke, Naruto looked at him. His face was blank, reflecting no disappointment or satisfaction. Even as ANBU guards were leading the Elders and a still shouting Danzou out, Sasuke stood, and gave a small bow toward the clan leaders.

Akimichi Chouza stood and addressed him before he could leave. "Uchiha-san."

Sasuke stilled, his body very rigid; Naruto was beginning to suspect the tribunal's decision had not satisfied him.

"We want you to know," Akimichi continued, inclining his head toward the other clan leaders. "We are not satisfied with the judgment we gave today. What they did was treason, pure and simple, and we do realize what happened to your clan could have happened to any of ours just as easily. Still, we could not resolve to execute them, and risk elevating them to the rank of martyrs. That being said, no judgment would have brought your family back, or your brother."

A few seconds passed in a heavy silence before Sasuke said tersely, "I know that."

Akimichi nodded. "But rest assured that Konoha will know what they did and what happened to your clan. They will know your brother was not the cold-blooded murderer we all—

"My brother," Sasuke cut in, "was a murderer. The involvement of these people explains why he did it. It does not excuse him."

He had said as much earlier, but Naruto couldn't help aching at those words, and at the too blank tone in which Sasuke pronounced them. That tone hid a lot of things; Naruto wondered how much of it was pain, and how much anger. Sasuke's face still gave no clue as to what he thought or felt.

Tsunade preceded them out. She stopped in the corridor as she had two days earlier, and asked coldly, "Sasuke. What are you going to do?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Tonight, I'm going to sleep. Tomorrow, I'm going to fight."

"And after that?" she insisted.

"Honestly? I have no idea."

Naruto wasn't sure whether to feel relief or fear. Sasuke hadn't said he'd kill the Elders and Danzou, but hadn't said the opposite either. Tsunade seemed to realize the same thing. She gave him a hard look before turning on her heel and throwing a stern, "Come with me," back at them.

They followed her to her office. Kakashi was there, along with Sai and the other ANBU that had been trailing Naruto and Sasuke. Shikamaru was as well, and at Tsunade's nod he sighed and started.

"Everybody already got their orders except for you two. So here's the plan. We keep Naruto hidden and out of the way while we—"

"Are you kidding me?" Naruto erupted, incredulous. His worry about what Sasuke would decide was gone, obliterated by a simple fact – Shikamaru wasn't as smart as everybody claimed if he thought Naruto would just stand by while the biggest battle of his life went on. "They come to get _me_, and I'm supposed to hide like a coward and let other people die for me?"

Shikamary snorted. He looked at Tsunade and shrugged. "I told you he'd be troublesome."

She rolled her eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh. "Go ahead, plan B."

This plan, Naruto liked much better. He'd voluntarily wield as much chakra as he could to serve as beacon for their attackers, then lead them out of the village, where the fight wouldn't take a toll on the villagers. The strongest shinobi would already be there and would separate Akatsuki to take them down one by one.

"That's more like it!" he exclaimed, grinning, when Shikamaru had finished laying out the details.

Sasuke, on the other hand, didn't look too happy. He glanced at Kakashi, his eyebrows raised questioningly.

"We'll be there," Kakashi said simply.

Sasuke nodded before turning his eyes to Tsunade. "My team will find us. I'll ask them to fight Akatsuki. Make sure they're not attacked. I can't guarantee anything if they feel threatened."

"What about after the fight?" Tsunade asked.

"What do you mean?"

She leaned forward intently. "When you stay in Konoha, what will they do? You call them your team."

"I don't know yet that I'll be staying," Sasuke pointed out.

Naruto realized then that Tsunade had been asking the same question again if in a different way, trying to get a straight answer from Sasuke. He couldn't help but wonder what she would do if Sasuke admitted here and now that he'd soon try to kill the three convicted advisors.

"What will they do if you do stay?" Tsunade pushed.

Sasuke's brow furrowed in thought. "Suigetsu will keep traveling, I think. Karin… I really don't know. She might want to stay. Juugo might like that, too. Would you give them asylum? All they ever did was have the bad luck to catch Orochimaru's interest."

"And yours," Tsunade said sharply. "They're Akatsuki."

"As much as I am, and yet here I stand."

She glanced briefly at Naruto. "Here you stand indeed, but for how long? If they help, and if they want to stay with you in Konoha, I'll allow it."

This time, it was easy enough to see through her words. She was offering them a place if Sasuke renounced his vengeance. Naruto couldn't tell what Sasuke thought of that, and he wondered, as they made their way home, whether Sasuke would take the bait.

"You really care about these people," Naruto said, halfway between a question and a statement, as they were about to reach the district.

"They're all I have," Sasuke said coolly.

Naruto bumped his shoulder against Sasuke's, earning himself a mild glare. "They were. Now you've got me."

Sasuke's glare softened before he looked away. "I know."

"You've always had me," Naruto insisted, dropping his voice to a murmur. "And you'll always have me. Whatever you decide."

"You're getting sappy again, dead last."

They walked in silence a little longer, but the question kept running through Naruto's mind, and soon he had to ask again, "Sasuke? What are you going to do?"

"Right now? I'm going to take you home and do things that Kakashi doesn't want to know about."

Behind them, the rhythm of Kakashi's steps faltered for an instant. "I wasn't listening!" he called out, sounding a little flustered.

Naruto laughed and let the question drop. Whatever Sasuke decided, he'd probably tell Naruto first – or at least, he had better tell him first if he expected sex in the following months.

When they arrived home, Naruto took off the kimono and folded it carefully. He was both happy to be out of the uncomfortable thing, and a little wistful that he might not get to wear it ever again. He touched the embroidered fan before putting the clothing away, and turned to Sasuke. Standing by the window, he was looking out at the sleeping village. Naruto went to him and tentatively wrapped his arms around him from behind, pressing his lips to the back of Sasuke's neck.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, the words so close to Sasuke's skin that Sasuke shivered as though it was a caress.

"Nothing. I just wish it were over already. What about you?"

Naruto struggled not to hold him tighter and give himself away. "The same," he said as casually as he could.

"You're scared?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto scoffed. "Of course not."

A few seconds passed. Naruto let go of the pretense and whispered, "Yes. I'm scared: scared of losing you. I just found you again, just found this. I don't want to lose it."

Sasuke turned within his embrace, looked straight at him with a slight smirk, and said,

"Scaredy cat."

Naruto huffed, bristling like an angry – not scared – cat. They climbed into bed, and despite Sasuke's bragging to Kakashi, prepared for sleep. Sasuke threw an arm over Naruto's waist, pulling him close to him.

More than an hour trickled by before Sasuke whispered, "I'm scared of losing you, too."

He'd probably thought Naruto was asleep. Naruto branded the words in his memory but didn't show him he wasn't.


	17. Chapter 17

**Three times when Sasuke made up his mind, and one time when he couldn't**

...

"Sasuke!"

Naruto's shout reverberated over the waterfall. Sasuke froze for a second. It would've been better if that idiot hadn't caught up with him – better for both of them. Shaking his head lightly, he took another step, leaving Naruto behind like he had left Konoha.

Naruto, of course, did not take the hint. "What, you're going to run away?"

Trust Naruto to state the obvious. It didn't look like he was going to give up anytime soon. With an inward sigh, Sasuke turned to look at him. The idiot looked angry. Even a little hurt. He didn't get it, did he? He didn't get that this was not some hot-blooded decision Sasuke had made, something he could be talked out of doing. He didn't get how important this was for Sasuke.

He didn't get that he was risking his life by being there.

Sasuke met his eyes, and in that one instant, he made his decision. He didn't want to kill Naruto. He'd left Konoha in part so he wouldn't be reminded, day after day, of the power he could obtain by killing his best friend. But if Naruto was there, if he was standing in the way…

He didn't want to kill Naruto. But he would.

...

It was as the black flames of the Amaterasu died that Sasuke made up his mind. In that moment, he realized that he was running out of time.

Just days earlier, he had been sure that after killing Itachi he would have all the time in the world in front of him to decide what to do. A few unexpected revelations had changed all that. If he waited much longer, there wouldn't be anyone left in Konoha. There wouldn't be a Konoha left.

The decision was made. He would deliver the Eight Tails to Akatsuki, and then he would make his way back to Konoha. He needed to figure out if Madara had told him the truth. Just as importantly, he needed to get to Naruto before Akatsuki did. He needed to see if he was still the same loudmouthed idiot. He needed to see if his feelings had changed – and to figure out if there was any chance Naruto felt the same way.

...

"And in the meantime, you can live with me."

Sasuke tried not to show any reaction. He didn't want to hear more in that casual offer than Naruto had actually meant.

"You heard her," Naruto added. "I'm supposed to keep an eye on you. It'll be easier if I don't have to hunt you down all the time."

Of course, Sasuke thought. Naruto was just being practical. He was, after all, on guard duty. "Finally tired of running after me?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even.

Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets. "There wasn't a chance in hell of that happening."

Again, Sasuke was tempted to interpret Naruto's words in the light of his own feelings. Holding his hopes at bay, he followed Naruto home. The idiot started rambling about the size of his place – as though Sasuke cared about stuff like that – and Sasuke told him he talked too much. What Sasuke did care about was the picture on the dresser, still displayed prominently even years after Team Seven had come to an end. Yet again, he had to stop himself from seeing too much in it.

"At least I talk. Unlike certain other people in here."

It was those grumbled words that made up Sasuke's mind. Naruto was part of why he'd come back to Konoha. He could wait for clues and hints forever – except, he didn't have forever. It was time to get on with it. He just didn't think he could use words. Maybe actions would work just as well, or even better…

"Do you remember the Valley of the End?" he asked. "Our first time there?"

"What about it?"

The words clung to Sasuke's throat; he pushed them out anyway. "You said I was like your brother."

He kept pushing after that, figuratively and literally, and took a leap of faith that the word 'friend' that passed Naruto's lips could mean something else, something more.

Those same lips were soft against his. They pressed back. They parted to let his tongue inside.

Sasuke had rarely been so relieved in his life that he'd made the right decision.

...

"You're ready?"

The tip of his tongue caught between his teeth, Naruto finished his letter with his best penmanship. If it was the last thing he left behind, he wanted it to be legible, at least.

"Just a minute," he finally replied, sensing Sasuke's edginess.

He read the note over. It wasn't very long, but it said all he wanted to say in case he died – or in case he never returned to the village. Satisfied with his work, he signed the scroll and rolled it. Reaching behind his neck, he lifted the necklace over his head and wrapped the chain around the scroll. It was strange not to feel the familiar crystals against his skin anymore.

"Naruto?"

He looked up to see Sasuke watch him with just a trace of confusion. He forced a smile to his lips and stood, leaving the necklace and scroll on the kitchen table.

"I'm ready now."

Naruto shivered when they stepped out of the building. The night was cold, with an icy wind chasing thin clouds across the sky, covering and uncovering the stars in turns. The first light of morning was at least two hours away, but Naruto felt ready. He'd never been as awake, or as aware of the changes just one day would bring. He looked at Sasuke at his side, and felt a boost of confidence. They'd be OK, whatever happened.

Before they had even stepped out of the district, they were joined by their bodyguards. Kakashi waved at them before taking the lead. Sai and the other ANBU flanked them. In just minutes, the five of them were standing on the roof of the Hokage Tower. Kakashi quietly exchanged a few words via his headset with the central command before pulling out a familiar book from his belt pouch.

"Your show," he said simply, and that was all Naruto needed. Sitting down with his legs crossed, he winked at Sasuke before closing his eyes. "Watch this," he said, already boasting, and reached for the calm that would allow him to draw on natural chakra. He hadn't used it in his fight with Sasuke, and part of him was glad to be able to show him, and Kakashi, too, what he was able to do now.

"_If it's a show of strength you want, I could help._"

An edge of laughter colored Kyuubi's words, and they almost sounded like a threat. For a second, they were on the verge of shattering Naruto's concentration, but he held on to it even as he found himself in front of the familiar cage in his mind.

"Not this time," he told the red eyes that glowed in the darkness. "You've got no place in this fight."

"_No place?_" Kyuubi roared. "_They have no interest in you, boy. It's me they want_."

"And they won't get you. Or me. Now shut up and let me concentrate."

Kyuubi continued to grumble, but Naruto retreated from the cage and focused instead on getting into sage mode. He probably wouldn't be able to use that strength to fight - he still needed more training to fully master it - but it would work quite well as a beacon for Akatsuki. After a few more moments, he could feel power coursing through him and surrounding him, wrapping him in a flow of ever-shifting chakra. Taking a deep breath, he allowed himself to move again and opened his eyes to find that Sasuke was sitting cross-legged in front of him, elbows resting on his knees and his fingers locked in front of his face. In the darkness, it took Naruto a few seconds to realize Sasuke was watching him through the sharingan.

"Nice," Sasuke said simply.

Naruto huffed, a little offended. "Nice? That's all you have to say?"

Sasuke shrugged, a slight smile pulling at his lips. "I'd have said impressive, if you hadn't needed a full ten minutes of perfect stillness to do this. You haven't had a lot of opportunities to use this chakra in actual fights, have you?"

Grimacing, Naruto looked away. Sai was looking at the village, as was his partner. Kakashi was reading. Clearly, Sasuke wasn't the only one not to be impressed. After all his hard work, it was rather disappointing.

Kakashi suddenly put his book away and pulled up his forehead protector to reveal his sharingan eye. He briefly touched the microphone on his throat – "Got it." – and looked at Naruto and Sasuke. "There we go. The barrier around the village was breached. Time to run."

Standing, Naruto gave Sasuke a grin. "Catch me if you can."

He was running before he finished saying the last word, still grinning and trying not to think about what was going on. The villagers would be safe, he told himself. Akatsuki was after him, and the faster he got out of the village, the better for everyone.

He held on to the natural chakra as he leaped from roof to roof, letting his own energy flare as well. No shinobi would be able to ignore his presence – or so he hoped.

When he finally got out of the village, he started seeing Konoha shinobi, lying in wait in the forest. He tried not to look at them too much; tried to wonder which of them would not return from this fight. Each group was supposed to take on one of the members of Akatsuki, diluting their power by separating them. At least, that was the plan. Even with the information Sasuke had given them, there was still a lot they didn't know.

He finally reached the clearing and stopped. The next second, Sasuke and the others were there, spreading out around him. Less than a minute passed before three cloaked figures joined them, standing at a small distance. The tall one had to be Juugo, Naruto thought, thinking of what Sasuke had told him. The red-haired girl was Karin; even in the darkness, it was clear that she wasn't as pretty as Sakura. And the last one had to be Suigetsu. Without losing a second, Sasuke strode toward them.

"Change of plans," he said, his voice strong and assured. "We're fighting Akatsuki."

They stared at him, and Karin asked, "We what?"

Sasuke tilted his head toward Naruto. "We're protecting this idiot."

Suigetsu almost sounded disappointed when he said, "You said we were going to destroy Konoha."

"As I said, change of plans. You can either leave now and do whatever you want, or keep Naruto safe and earn your place in the village."

Suigetsu looked at him and bared his teeth in a rather frightening grin. "Thanks for the offer, but no thanks."

"So you don't want to fight Kisame?" Sasuke asked, an eyebrow raised in mild surprise.

Suitgetsu hesitated. "Well… I do, but I don't care about this guy," he said, gesturing toward Naruto, "or his village."

"Then fight Kisame and leave. No one will force you to stay."

After eyeing the Konoha ninjas in turns, as though evaluating how hard they would be to defeat if they tried to force him to live in a village, he finally nodded. Sasuke looked at Karin at once. "What about you?"

Her narrowed eyes were locked on Naruto, showing clear dislike.

"Karin?" Sasuke said, a little impatiently.

She started at the sound of her name and looked at Sasuke. Shaking her head, she said bitterly, "I always wondered what was wrong with me. I wasn't the right gender, huh?"

Naruto gritted his teeth. He didn't care about the way she looked at him, but he didn't like the way she looked at Sasuke at all.

Sasuke didn't reply. Instead, he asked, "Are you staying or leaving?"

"I don't need a new village. And I don't care to die fighting for your boyfriend. I'm out of here."

Sasuke turned to Juugo. Before he could say a word, Karin was stepping forward, hands on her hips. "Is that it? You're not even going to try and convince me to stay?"

He shrugged. "You're free. You made your decision. I don't have time for games."

She crossed her arms and huffed. "Well, I changed my mind. I'm staying."

He nodded as though he hadn't expected anything different. Turning again to the last member of his team, he said simply, "Juugo?"

"What are you doing?" Juugo asked. "Are you staying in Konoha?"

For the first time, Sasuke seemed to hesitate. "I don't know yet," he admitted in a low voice that sounded pained.

"I'll decide once you have," Juugo said. "For now, I'll fight."

Not caring about whether Sasuke's team fought or not, Naruto looked carefully at Sasuke himself. He looked mildly annoyed – which wasn't anything new – but this time the annoyance appeared to be directed inward, which was a first. He touched Sasuke's shoulder lightly, drawing his attention. The sharingan in Sasuke's eyes was spinning wildly.

"Hey. It's OK," he said quietly. "Whatever you decide, I'm with you."

Sasuke nodded, but his annoyance did not fade.

"Are we ready here?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke nodded, his eyes never moving away from Naruto's. "Yes."

"Good," Karin said behind him, sounding on edge suddenly. "Because here they come."


	18. Chapter 18

**Three times when Sasuke used genjutsu, and one time when he was caught in an illusion**

…

This wasn't the Atatsuki member Sasuke wanted to fight, or kill, but he wasn't about to run from the fight either. The blonde or his masked friend might point him toward Itachi. If nothing else, he'd get some training.

And what training he got indeed…

Everything he had learned, he used. Electrically charged needles, his katana, the curse seal, the great snake Manda – all gifts, more or less willing, from Orochimaru. Chidori, with a fleeting thought toward Kakashi. And of course, the sharingan and genjutsu. These were his weapons of choice, the ones he had been born with, the ones he shared with Itachi, like they had once shared a family.

He didn't fully win that fight; winning by suicide wasn't anything to brag about. But he survived. He confronted an Akatsuki member and walked away with his life. Very soon, he'd do the same thing again – and this time, against Itachi.

…

If Sasuke's head hurt, it wasn't from his fight with Deidara anymore. Instead, it was from Karin and Suigetsu arguing, fighting and being just much too loud. The two of them together could have taken on another loud-mouthed, annoying, obnoxious—

"Kill…" Juugo's voice started with a whisper, but rose with each word. "I want to… kill… someone… anyone…"

The familiar pattern was spreading over his neck and face, transforming his face into an unfathomable maze of inky lines and too pale skin, already darkening his eyes into those of a bloodthirsty demon.

Forgetting – for now – their senseless arguing, Suigetsu and Karin rushed to Juugo and held him down, preventing him from killing anyone quite yet. They wouldn't be able to stop him for long, though.

"Hurry, Sasuke!" Karin shouted.

Sasuke didn't need her to urge him on. He was already looking at Juugo through the sharingan, and captured his attention with a few calm but commanding words.

"Settle down, Juugo."

Their eyes met, and Juugo was caught.

This had happened a few times in the past couple of weeks, and Sasuke had become rather good at calming him. Already, without even being aware of what he was doing, Sasuke was weaving the perfect images to soothe Juugo. A lake, with just a few ripples from a handful of birds in the center. Mountains in the distance, their snowy peaks disappearing behind clouds. A prairie, a forest, a few animals surrounding Juugo…

It didn't take more than a couple of seconds. Juugo started relaxing. The pattern retreated from his face. Karin and Suigetsu let go of him, and he stumbled to his knees.

Exhausted at having used a genjutsu when he was still so weak, Sasuke was already asleep.

…

It was too easy.

It was much too easy.

The chidori ran through Itachi's body, and Sasuke followed through with his katana. Itachi fell to the ground, blood splattering around him.

For a second, just a second, Sasuke let himself believe that this was it, he had done it. He had avenged his clan and fulfilled his life's purpose. The bonds that had tied him to this path since childhood were now broken, and he'd be able to let other bonds take their place.

For just a second, the thought was nice.

It just didn't last.

"You've gotten much stronger," Itachi rasped through bloodied lips.

Except… it wasn't Itachi. Of course not. And if he was honest with himself, Sasuke had known it all along. Why else would he be crouching behind the stone throne his brother lounged in, running it through with his katana? Illusion within an illusion within yet another illusion.

When he finally faced the real Itachi, he considered his sharingan carefully, knowing it matched his own. Genjutsu wouldn't be enough. That was all right. He had other tricks up his sleeve. It didn't matter how he killed Itachi in the end. The only thing that mattered was that he would.

…

"Are we ready here?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke nodded, his eyes never moving away from Naruto's. "Yes."

"Good," Karin said behind him, sounding on edge suddenly. "Because here they come."

The sun had risen, and in the low ambient light Naruto could see the new arrivals, all cloaked in black. In a flash, the battle started everywhere around him. On his right, Suigetsu swung his sword. It met another giant sword with a deafening crash. Both fighters, Naruto thought to himself, were showing too many teeth.

On his left, the Akatsuki woman raised her hands and thousands of tiny pieces of paper swirled around the clearing, thickening the air and threatening to smother them. Kakashi performed the katon jutsu and a thousand tiny flames lit up the clearing. The next second, ashes fell over them like snow.

More Akatsuki members were moving in, still, including the masked sharingan-user who Naruto now knew was Madara. Naruto started forming the first seal for a few dozen clones, just to throw things off, but Sasuke stopped him.

"Not now. Let's go."

"What? I don't—"

Sasuke grabbed his wrist and pulled Naruto after him, forcing him to run. Naruto just caught a glimpse of Sai and the other ANBU closing ranks behind them before he and Sasuke were running through the woods.

"Sasuke!"

After a brief struggle, he finally pulled his wrist free and stopped at once.

"I won't run from a fight!" he shouted, incensed.

"We're not running," Sasuke replied, his sharingan pinning Naruto in place. "Did you listen to a _word_ of what Shikamaru planned? We're separating Akatsuki!"

"And you're also separating yourself from your little friends. Very convenient for me."

Naruto and Sasuke whirled toward the sneering voice. Madara was standing just yards away, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. It took Naruto a moment to realize that the blackness behind him wasn't just the fading night. Instead, it was a fire that burned black – a fire that surrounded them, trapping them inside a circle of black flames.

Naruto quickly created a dozen clones, using most of them as distraction while he kept two to prepare a rasengan shuriken attack. Madara moved forward just as Naruto launched his attack, making it all that much easier to hit him.

But when Naruto's attack hit, it was Sasuke in front of him, not Madara. It was Sasuke who looked at him with a betrayed look, Sasuke's eyes already dulling, his lips flecked with blood, his body falling to the ground with no more than a whisper.

"My, my. Looks like your aim is a little off, Naruto-kun." Madara made a show of leaning over Sasuke's bloodied body and shook his head. "You should be more careful. You could really hurt someone with that attack."

Naruto dry-heaved. He couldn't… he hadn't…

Had he?

His knees folded beneath him and he suddenly found himself on the ground, just feet away from Sasuke's still body.

A slap to the back of his head shook him out of his horrified daze. He looked up to see Sasuke roll his eyes at him.

"Idiot. Can't you see you're in a genjutsu?"

Naruto's heart skipped a beat at seeing Sasuke alive and without a scratch on him. Then his words started making sense, and he realized that Sasuke had entered the illusion as well, probably to help him out.

"You shouldn't have," he mumbled as he stood. He'd never been so glad to see Sasuke – never been so glad to be offered help.

"No, he really shouldn't have," Madara said somewhere behind Naruto. "Very… _noble_ of you to help the Jinchuuriki, Sasuke, but who will help you?"

They faced the cloaked figure together again.

"I don't need anyone's help," Sasuke said coolly. "Illusions don't affect me."

It would be fine, Naruto told himself. Sasuke was a genjutsu user himself, he'd be able to break the illusion and—

"Don't they? Are you so sure of that, Sasuke?"

A figure appeared by Madara's side. Naruto's stomach clenched unpleasantly. Of course. Madara had confronted him with the image of Sasuke dying at his hands; he had more than an image to play with where Sasuke was concerned: he had actual memories.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke to see how he'd react to seeing Itachi. His eyes were wide, and when Itachi started speaking, his jaw visibly clenched.

"Traitor," the illusion said, stepping forward and pointing an accusing finger at Sasuke. "You know what they forced me to do, and still you stand by their side. You protect them, and their pet. How dare you call yourself an Uchiha?"

The false Itachi lashed out, and the red and white fan over Sasuke's heart was suddenly ripped from his shirt. Sasuke's only reaction was a flinch.

"It's an illusion!" Naruto said very fast. "You know that, Sasuke. Itachi's dead."

"At whose hands?" Itachi continued. "You killed me to avenge our clan, yet those who guided my arm are still alive. You abandoned our clan, Sasuke. You betrayed it, like I did."

"I did not!" Sasuke cried out.

He was really trapped, Naruto realized, dismayed. Madara was playing on Sasuke's incertitude and guilt, and they seemed to strengthen the illusion. What could he do to help?

"I did not betray my clan," Sasuke repeated, his voice hardening. "I will get my revenge. I will kill them."

Electricity crackled around him before spreading out, and the fake Itachi disappeared, torn apart by lightning. In the middle of the attack, Naruto's hand rose to his throat. He couldn't breathe; something was choking him. It was like that time when Itachi had confronted him and—

The crow that had flown straight into his mouth back then suddenly flew out and croaked loudly, drawing Sasuke's and Madara's attention. It grew larger, and suddenly it wasn't a crow anymore, but a man; another Itachi illusion.

It turned to Naruto, and said, "You've done enough. My turn."

Before Naruto could say a word, before he could do more than notice the untarnished forehead protector over Itachi's brow or the absence of the Akatsuki cloak, Itachi thrust his hand toward him, palm out and fingers spread, hitting Naruto's chest and pushing him backwards. Naruto fell back and hurriedly jumped to his feet again, only to discover he was out of the illusion and back inside the circle of black flames.

Next to him, Sasuke was immobile, his eyes fixed on Madara, who was just as motionless. They were both still in the genjutsu, Naruto realized. Was Madara still in control? Or was it now Itachi who directed the genjutsu? Naruto shuddered. To think he'd had this 'gift' from Itachi inside him all this time… What was he telling Sasuke?

Back in the forest, Naruto hadn't been able to make sense of Itachi's questions. What would it matter to him what Naruto would or wouldn't do to bring Sasuke home? But now… Now that Naruto knew why Itachi had done it, now that he knew that Madara had primed Sasuke like a weapon before aiming him at the village, now he understood. He just didn't know if anything a ghost could say would have an effect on Sasuke anymore after Madara had—

Naruto's train of thought froze suddenly. Madara. He was still in the genjutsu with Sasuke, his physical body defenseless for now. What was Naruto doing, worrying about what ifs and maybes? He had a fight to finish, here and now!

He faced Madara again and grimaced. It felt like cheating to attack an incapacitated enemy, but after all, no one had forced Madara into that genjutsu; he had created it himself and entered it of his own free will. And he certainly hadn't hesitated about killing defenseless people when he had unleashed Kyuubi on the village – just like he wouldn't have hesitated about killing Naruto if the situation had been reversed.

Naruto had seen Madara evade attacks before. He wanted a clean kill, without leaving him a chance to escape. Gathering what was left of his natural chakra, he created two clones and formed the rasengan shuriken jutsu. It wasn't much of a challenge to hit an immobile target, but he didn't let that stop him, reminding himself at the last moment – this man had unleashed the Kyuubi, tried to destroy the village and condemned Naruto to years as an outcast. This same man had helped destroy Sasuke's family. He had caused more than enough hurt for a lifetime.

Naruto watched him fall, and kept his eyes on him for long seconds. Finally dispelling the clones, he went to him and bent down to press his fingers to his pulse point. He found nothing.

"Is he… is he dead?"

Naruto started at Sasuke's rough voice. He straightened and turned on his heel, hurrying back to him. Blood was trickling from the corners of his eyes.

"Are you OK?" Naruto asked worriedly. He started reaching to wipe the blood off Sasuke's face, but Sasuke flinched back. He looked at Naruto through dark eyes, and Naruto stared back.

"What did Itachi say?" he asked after a few seconds.

Sasuke blinked. "How do you know… How did you…"

Naruto shrugged, now wishing he'd told Sasuke about his encounter with his brother. "He and I had a talk," he explained. "Not long before you two fought. He said he'd leave something to help me bring you back. I never understood what that meant until today. So what did he say?"

Sasuke didn't reply. He wiped his eyes and looked first at Madara's body, then at the flames that still surrounded them. He closed his eyes, and when they opened again, it was to reveal the strange red and black pinwheels. He stared at the flames around them, and they slowly died out. When he closed his eyes once more, more blood trickled down his cheeks.

"Are you all right?" Naruto asked again, touching his elbow lightly.

Sasuke still didn't answer. "Let's go see if the others need help," he said instead.

The suggestion surprised Naruto, and he couldn't help hoping. "Does that mean you've decided?"

Sasuke's bloody face revealed nothing. "It means I said I'd keep you safe, and until all Akatsuki members are dead, you won't be safe. Now are you going to stay there and wait like a damsel in distress, or are you going to come help me?"

Naruto crossed his arms, annoyed at being called a girl. Let the fight just end, and then he'd show that bastard who was the girl exactly. And in the meantime… "Who finished Madara?" he pointed out.

Sasuke grimaced, sparing Madara a last glance. "Idiot. Let's go."


	19. Chapter 19

**Three times when Sasuke ended something, and one time when he started it**

**...**

If things had been different, Sasuke imagined that his father would have led him to the secret room for a special occasion. When he had become a jounin, maybe. Or when he had fully mastered the sharingan.

Instead, he descended into the chamber on his own after being released from the hospital, Itachi's words still ringing in his mind. He'd never felt so alone as when he stood in front of that altar and reached for the scrolls of his clan – the scrolls that were now his, and his alone.

He read the scrolls slowly, committing each word to memory. Only when he carefully put them back in their place did it dawn on him. His childhood was over. He couldn't continue to be a child when he was the last member – last _true_ member – of his clan, when he knew its secrets, when he had a duty most adults would never bear.

When he walked back up the steps, he was only a few minutes older. He wasn't any stronger, couldn't perform any jutsu any better, nor had he gained any wisdom that would help him avenge his clan. In his mind, however, he was now an adult.

**...**

While Suigetsu rummaged for clothes, Sasuke looked around him and frowned. He'd been in Orochimaru's lab before, he'd seen his experiments: failed, deformed, preserved for future study. Suigetsu was the only living person in there. The rest was just an obscene reminder of Orochimaru's methodical insanity.

"I'm ready."

Sasuke heard Suigetsu, but he still didn't move. Orochimaru was gone, but Kabuto wasn't. He might pick up the experiments, and continue the horrors that had been going on in the lab.

"Sasuke? Are we getting out of here anytime today?" Suigetsu asked in a bored voice.

"Yeah. I just need to finish something."

He had started wrecking the room when he set Suigetsu free. He finished it with a Katon jutsu. Before long, the room was engulfed in flames, vials and jars exploding from the intensity of the heat. Only then did Sasuke leave.

**...**

As they approached Konoha, Naruto started showing signs of nervousness. He had made Sasuke ditch his Akatsuki cloak the first day of their trek back, but even so he didn't seem to approve of Sasuke's attire. He kept looking at him and frowning, muttering under his breath about his clothes and his lack of forehead protector. Sasuke wasn't sure why it mattered. He was a missing-nin. He had consorted with enemies of Konoha. He wasn't denying it, and no one in Konoha could ignore who he was. A forehead protector or Konoha-style clothing wouldn't change that.

"Just let me do the talking, all right?" Naruto said as the village appeared in the distance.

Sasuke replied with a grunt that he hoped sounded like an agreement. He doubted anything Naruto could say to the guards would change much in the end. And so he barely even listened as they reached the doors and were stopped by the evening guards. Instead, he watched the village in front of him, this village he had missed so much for so long – this village he wasn't sure was his anymore.

After mere moments, two ANBU appeared. One of them made Sasuke surrender his katana and the travel bag in which he kept a change of clothes, a few scrolls, and some money. Sasuke handed them over dispassionately. When it came to that, he could fight without the katana if he had to.

"Let's go. The Hokage has been warned."

Naruto stepped between the ANBU and Sasuke, arms crossed and looking as mulish as ever. "Not yet. He's been walking for three days with broken ribs. He needs to see a medic before we go to the Tower."

The ANBU didn't like being ordered around, but Naruto made enough of a fuss that in the end they relented and contacted the Hokage. She must have agreed because the four of them were soon en route for the hospital. Two more ANBU joined them before they got there, and the four guards kept a tight watch on Sasuke as they moved on. Not as tight as Naruto's, though. He was walking closer to Sasuke now, and continued to throw quick glances at him, as though expecting him to suddenly go berserk and attack everything that moved. If he had only known what Sasuke was planning…

They finally reached the hospital, and the medic-nin had to navigate around Sasuke's minders to examine and heal him. In truth, Sasuke could have done without a side trip to the hospital; his injuries had already started healing. It wasn't worth arguing with Naruto about it, though. That, and now that the time was close, Sasuke was getting anxious about meeting the Hokage. If she had agreed to have him healed, she probably wouldn't order him to be executed, but there were still a few unpleasant outcomes possible.

Night had fallen when they walked out of the hospital. Sasuke watched the moon slowly rise as they made their way to the Hokage Tower. It cast light on the mountain and its carved faces. It was strange to see a fifth one there. It had never been so clear to Sasuke that it was a different Konoha he had returned to.

The Hokage was waiting in her office, standing behind her desk. Her secretary, two advisors and more ANBU guards were there. She glared at Naruto as he and Sasuke stood before her, then finally turned her attention to Sasuke.

"Are you done running, Uchiha?" she asked coldly.

Sasuke looked at her, at the Elders at her side, then at Naruto. He clenched his fists, then released them again as he looked back at her.

"I'm done."

He wasn't lying. There was no more need to run. Everyone he wanted to kill or protect was in Konoha.

**...**

Sasuke's bloody face revealed nothing. "It means I said I'd keep you safe, and until all Akatsuki members are dead, you won't be safe. Now are you going to stay there and wait like a damsel in distress, or are you going to come help me?"

Naruto crossed his arms, annoyed at being called a girl. Let the fight just end, and then he'd show that bastard who was the girl exactly. And in the meantime… "Who finished Madara?" he pointed out.

Sasuke grimaced, sparing Madara a last glance. "Idiot. Let's go."

They ran back, retracing their path from earlier. When Naruto asked why Sasuke was allowing him to get near the danger now, he got an eye roll for his trouble.

"We're some of the strongest fighters Konoha has. We can't just sit here. One Akatsuki at a time should be OK. And you'll stay away and use your clones."

Naruto snorted. "We'll see about that," he muttered under his breath.

Judging by the nasty look Sasuke threw him, he had heard.

The first fighters they ran across were Suigetsu and Kisame. Both of them were bloody, cuts adorning their bodies even as they slashed their swords at each other. Sasuke tried to join in and help—only to be yelled at by Suigetsu.

It took Suigetsu a few more minutes to end the fight on his own terms. Naruto itched to move on and go find someone else who needed help, but Sasuke, standing there with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face, didn't seem like he wanted to go anywhere. He was still scowling when Suigetsu turned to them, grinning widely, a sword in each hand.

"What are you going to do with two swords?" Sasuke asked, eyeing him warily.

Suigetsu looked at his new acquisition with a fond smile. "Start a collection, what else? There's five more for me to find!"

"As long as you don't come back to use them against Konoha."

Suigetsu grinned at Sasuke's warning. "We'll see. You've got to admit it'd be a fun fight."

"No," Sasuke said coldly, "it wouldn't. Goodbye, Suigetsu."

With a deft movement, Suigetsu slid his sword back in place on his back, keeping Kisame's in hand. "Bye. Thanks for the fun."

Next, they found Juugo and Karin. They had defeated the Akatsuki woman and she was lying, face down, a few yards away. Juugo's skin was covered in a strange inky pattern and his body was deformed. He was holding Karin by the neck, choking her. Naruto started running forward, but Sasuke was faster. He stood in front of Juugo, his eyes now red and black, and called out his name.

"Juugo! Calm down!"

And just like that, Juugo did. When he had returned to his normal self, he apologized profusely to Karin, who, still massaging her throat, kicked him in the shin.

The four of them started running again, but there were no more sounds of fighting to guide them. The next battle scene they found was also finished – but much grimmer, too. Kakashi lay on the ground. Trees had fallen around him, rocks were broken, the earth upturned. There was no sign of an adversary – and no hint of chakra coming from Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Naruto rushed to his side, knowing already from the lack of body that Kakashi had used his advanced sharingan attack – knowing, also, that they were too far from Konoha when Kakashi's chakra level was lower than it had ever been.

Kakashi opened his left eye and smiled. "You… OK, Naruto-kun?"

"Don't talk, just… rest."

Naruto looked up hopelessly at Sasuke, but Sasuke wasn't looking at him or Kakashi. Instead, he was staring at Karin.

She crossed her arms and turned away. "I'm already exhausted myself."

Naruto had no clue what she meant by that, and was even more bewildered when Sasuke said, "Please."

That simple yet so unusual word from Sasuke seemed to make up Karin's mind. With an exasperated sigh, she kneeled by Kakashi's side opposite from Naruto and pulled down his mask, exposing his mouth. Naruto was too stunned by what was going on to even realize he was finally seeing his teacher without his mask.

"What—"

"Just watch," Sasuke said behind him.

Karin pulled up her sleeve. Her skin was covered in a pattern of black circles. She brought her arm next to Kakashi's mouth before instructing him to bite her. He must have used his remaining strength to do as she asked. Chakra surged around them, and Naruto could only stare in amazement as he realized that it was flowing from Karin to Kakashi.

Just then, Sai rushed into the clearing. He had lost his mask and was bleeding in several places, but he didn't appear to be too badly injured. He stopped at the curious sight, and gave Naruto a questioning look. Naruto got to his feet and shrugged helplessly. He didn't know any more than Sai what was going on.

After a few moments, Karin pulled away. She was panting and a little unsteady as she slowly got to her feet. Kakashi was already pulling his mask back in place and adjusting his forehead protector over his right eye. His left eye was wide open and incredulous.

"You're welcome," Karin snapped at him.

Kakashi blinked and belatedly said, "Whatever it is you did, thank you."

"Kakashi-sensei? Are you OK?" Naruto asked.

"I will be," Kakashi replied, his voice still a little weak. "Did you defeat Madara? We couldn't stop him when he went after you."

"He's dead," Naruto confirmed. "And so is the Akatsuki woman. Did you—"

"Kill my adversary? Yes." He grimaced. "Barely. We had trouble at first when they stuck together."

He gave Sai a pained look, and for the first time Naruto wondered where Sai's ANBU partner was.

"Separating the different Pain bodies was the key. We owe a lot to Shikamaru's plan." Kakashi finally got to his feet and covered his ear with his hand. He listened for a moment to the report from other groups of fighters before relaying the information he had heard. "The teams in Konoha managed to take down two Pain bodies, but not before they inflicted some serious damage to the village. And the first team in the forest took down the plant guy."

"Zetsu," Sasuke supplied shortly. "That doesn't account for all the Pain bodies though."

Kakashi nodded. "Correct. He seems to have given a retreat signal when the Akatsuki losses became too high."

"So it's not over," Naruto said, his relief disappearing. He couldn't bear to think of how many people had died already to protect him – and how many more would fall still. "They might launch another attack."

"Probably, but not any time soon." Kakashi's eye narrowed slightly. "And we don't have to wait until they do. We can take the fight to them and end it there. And in the meantime…" He looked intently at Sasuke as though trying to see right through him. "The village will be safe. Won't it?"

Sasuke closed his eyes. Waiting for his answer, Naruto held his breath. He realized in that moment that he, Kakashi and Sai were standing on one side, with Sasuke and his team members on the other. He took a step to the side, coming closer to Sasuke. Part of him was determined; he'd promised Sasuke his support and he would give it to him, whatever he decided, not because they were partners, but rather because it was the right thing to do. Another part was afraid, though. He didn't want to fight his friends or sensei, nor would he let anyone hurt them if it could be prevented.

After a few seconds, Sasuke nodded. Naruto breathed again, and Kakashi visibly relaxed. He probably would have liked that fight no more than Naruto would have.

"Let's go home, then," Kakashi said, grinning behind his mask.

The village was already cleaning up by the time they returned. They brought Kakashi to the hospital, and met Tsunade there. As soon as she saw them, a shadow lifted from her face. She was smiling as she reached behind her neck and pulled off her necklace before handing it to Naruto.

"I think this belongs to you."

Naruto took it gratefully, and was wondering whether to ask if she had read the letter when she turned her attention to the other fighters around him.

"Sasuke. Would you introduce us to your teammates?"

He nodded once. "This is Karin and Juugo. They both fought for Konoha."

"So I've been told," she said solemnly. "And Konoha is thankful. You two may join our village if you wish to. You can work missions for us. I'm afraid you'll never be anything more than chuunin, however."

Juugo shook his head and held his hands palms out. "I don't want to fight anymore. I just want peace."

The pronouncement didn't seem to bother Tsunade. "If that is your choice, it's perfectly acceptable."

Karin, on the other hand, wasn't so agreeable. "Why only chuunin? I can fight better than—"

"Karin," Sasuke interrupted her. "It's more than you'll be offered anywhere else. If I were you, I'd take it."

Huffing and puffing, she crossed her arms and accepted. "For now. Until I get tired of this village." She looked at Tsunade suspiciously, pushing her glasses higher on her nose. "And where will I live? It better not be anything like a jail. I've had enough of those."

Tsunade had apparently already thought of that, as she answered at once. "You'll be living in the Uchiha district. Right, Sasuke?"

Sasuke didn't even blink. "Of course. They're part of the Uchiha clan now."

Juugo and Karin both looked as stunned as Naruto felt, but neither said a word. Tsunade was the only one who voiced her surprise.

"I thought you were going to let your clan die?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I thought so, too. But maybe it can live on in a different way."

There was a slight catch in his voice, reminiscing of his raw emotions when he had come out of the genjutsu. Naruto couldn't help but wonder if this change of mind came from Sasuke's encounter with his brother's image. He'd have to ask him again what Itachi had said.

Tsunade observed Sasuke for a little while before asking, "Does that mean it's really over?"

Sasuke turned to Naruto, and a corner of his mouth lifted in the faintest smile, causing Naruto's stomach to flip in the most peculiar fashion.

"No," he said coolly, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's only beginning."


	20. Epilogue

_A/N - The first and second flash-forwards will make much more sense if you go read my ficlet __**Fathers and Sons**__ first._

**Epilogue - Three times when Naruto kissed Sasuke, and one more time when he did**

…

The nurse pointed them in the right direction and Naruto hurried ahead, stopping after a few yards to look back and wait for Sasuke.

"Come on, hurry up," he whined, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Aren't you excited?"

Sasuke continued to step forward at a leisurely pace. If anything, he was going even more slowly. "Why should I be?"

Naruto threw the plush fox toy he'd picked up on the way in the air and caught it easily again. Sasuke could be such a pain, sometimes. "It's the first Uchiha born since—" Naruto gave him a sideways look as they moved on toward the room the nurse had indicated. Sasuke's expression was still a cool, slightly annoyed mask. "—you know."

"Hn."

Juggling the plush toy again, Naruto snorted. "As eloquent as ever."

Sasuke snatched the fox from the air and threw him a mild glare. "As annoying as ever."

"Bastard."

"Dead last."

Naruto accelerated to reach the room first. "Not last this time!" Throwing the door open, he called out a loud, "Hi, Karin!" only to be glared and hissed at by the two irate people sitting on the hospital bed.

"Be quiet, you idiot!"

"Oops. Sorry." He rubbed the back of his head, smiling apologetically. "How's the baby? Can I see it?"

Suigetsu threw him a pointed look, and Naruto was suddenly glad the proud father was currently carrying a child rather than any of his swords. "See _her_, Uzumaki, not _it_."

Naruto was used to Suigetsu's ways and he didn't take it personally. After all, he had long ago deduced that the man had to be brain-damaged. There was no other reason he could see why Suigetsu would have returned to Konoha, camped outside the village for two weeks waiting for Karin to return from a mission, then proceeded to tell her how annoying she was and how he couldn't stand her before asking her out on a date.

"A girl! Cool!"

Without a word, Sasuke thrust the toy at him. Naruto took it and walked closer to the bed with his offering.

"I brought a present!"

Arms crossed over her hospital gown, Karin huffed when she saw what the toy was. "Trying to give her nightmares from the start, fox boy?"

Her words didn't bother Naruto, either. He knew what Karin's problem with him was. He'd thought it'd get better when she had finally stopped smashing her hand into Suigetsu's face and agreed to go out with him, but somehow, she could be happily in love – at least, he assumed she was; she certainly had been hitting Suigetsu a lot less – and still be jealous.

Despite her sneering words, she did take the plush toy and petted it absently, even as Suigetsu looked at her. At her nod, he stood, stepping closer to Sasuke who had remained a few feet back. Without warning, he handed his daughter to Sasuke. Judging by his startled look, it was the last thing Sasuke expected, and he was too surprised to move back in time. Naruto grinned at the pure horror on his lover's face when he looked down at the child he was now holding.

"We want you to name her," Karin announced on a no-nonsense tone.

Sasuke's eyebrows only tried to climb higher on his forehead. "What? No, I—"

"We can't agree on a name," Suigetsu cut in. "You're head of our clan. You pick one."

Vainly, Sasuke tried to return the child to her parents, but neither of them was taking her. "But I don't—"

"You really want to offend us, Sasuke-san?" Karin asked mildly.

Sasuke glared at her, then at Suigetsu, and even at Naruto for good measure before looking down at the baby in his arms. He brushed his fingers against her thin, bright red hair. Eyes closed and sucking on her tiny fist, she was adorable, Naruto thought, but he was glad he wasn't the one who had to name her. He'd never have known what to pick.

"Kushina," Sasuke said quietly after a few moments, looking up to meet Naruto's eyes.

A jolt had passed through Naruto at the name and he swallowed hard.

"Is that OK?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto nodded and managed a weak smile though he was unable to say a word. Without thinking, he brought a hand to his chest, absently touching the two pictures that he kept in the inside pocket through the fabric of his vest. It had been difficult to find a picture of his mother to keep with the picture of his father that Kakashi had given him. He wished he had one of them together – even better, with him as well. He looked at Karin, Suigetsu, and baby Kushina with a bit of longing. They formed a touching scene together. At least, he thought, now he knew his parents' names and faces.

Sasuke and Naruto visited for a few minutes more before finally leaving. Naruto managed to wait until Sasuke had closed the door behind them before he grabbed his vest, shoved him against the wall, and kissed him within an inch of his life.

…

Naruto was halfway through soaping every inch of his skin for the second time when the shower door slid open. Startled that he hadn't even heard Sasuke enter the bathroom, he dropped the soap. He knew better than to bend down and pick it up, though, not when it was Sasuke's turn and they had no time for games.

"No, no, not today, not now," he said quickly, stepping under the spray and as far away from Sasuke as he could in the shower stall. "I can't be late today, it's too important, we can't—"

Sasuke picked up the soap and set it on the holder. Naruto made sure to keep his eyes straight ahead, lest his determination would waver.

"You know Kakashi will be late," Sasuke said with a slight smile. "The Hokage ceremony can't start without him."

Tempting reasoning, but Naruto wasn't that weak, not at all, and he wasn't looking down to where Sasuke's cock was hardening just like his own was. Nope. Not listening, not looking.

"He wasn't late for his own ceremony!" he said quickly as Sasuke continued to inch closer. "He knows when stuff is important!"

A single finger trailed down his chest, and he sucked in a breath, expecting the touch to turn much more intimate. He breathed a sigh of relief – or maybe disappointment – when the finger retreated.

"He had you to keep him on track," Sasuke pointed out, coming closer still so that their cocks were now trapped together between their bodies. Leaning into Naruto's neck, he placed small licks along his neck in between words. "No one's… going to… tell him… to hurry up… not on his last day as Hokage."

With some distress, Naruto realized his arms had betrayed him and were now wrapped around Sasuke's waist. "But we'll be late!" he whined.

The plea did not affect Sasuke at all. "You're way too tense," he murmured, now trailing kisses up his neck and across his jaw. "If you go like that, you'll be fumbling through your entire speech."

Naruto almost asked what speech he was talking about. It was becoming hard to think, suddenly. Very hard.

"You don't want the villagers to think their new Hokage can't say three sentences without tripping over his own tongue, do you?"

It just wasn't fair. Sasuke was a bastard. He kept saying that word, and every time he did, Naruto's stomach was trying to climb out of his throat. "But—"

Whatever objections Naruto had disappeared in a kiss that robbed him of his resolve, along with his ability to form coherent thoughts.

"See?" Sasuke said, smirking, when he pulled back. "I'm helping. Keeping your tongue all supple and agile. Aren't you lucky to have me?"

Naruto's cock and hands and skin all agreed that he was lucky, indeed. His brain, on the other hand, was trying to cling to a single thought. "Can't be late…"

"Turn around." Sasuke murmured, his hands already on Naruto's hips and showing what he meant.

Naruto's body obeyed, and he leaned his hands against the cold tiles even as he protested. "But Sasuke—"

A sneaky hand wrapped around Naruto's cock. The second one had found the lube and was busy applying it liberally.

"We can make it quick," Sasuke promised, his fist sliding a little faster over Naruto's cock while his fingers slid a little deeper.

Naruto squeaked – except, future Hokages didn't squeak, did they? "Or we can—" He gasped. "—wait until after."

"Ah, but if we wait until after, I won't have the satisfaction of knowing the new Hokage isn't glowing because he finally got what he wanted but rather because of _me_."

With that last word, Sasuke's cock finally slid in with one fluid movement that drew a muffled cry from Naruto's lips.

"Sasuke…"

True to his word, Sasuke set a fast rhythm, his hands tights on Naruto's hips. "But if you really want to fuck after… you can make that your first official act. Send everyone out of your office and fuck me on your new desk."

Naruto moaned. "Pervert."

"Don't tell me you weren't planning to. I know you."

The worst of it was, he was right. "Shut up and fuck me."

Very obligingly, Sasuke did.

As Naruto had predicted, they were late, although only by two minutes. Of course, Kakashi arrived thirty-seven minutes after they did, so it didn't really matter. He explained that he'd been finishing to clean up his desk in case Naruto wanted to get to work right away. During the entire ceremony, he kept throwing puzzled looks at the first row of the audience where Sasuke, in a very uncharacteristic fashion, was stifling fits of laughter behind his ANBU mask. Naruto's cheeks were burning the entire time. Sasuke was going to pay for this. He was going to pay very dearly.

…

Sliding his precious burden onto his left arm, Naruto opened the door and called out, "I'm home!" as he entered the apartment.

"You're also three hours late," came the predictable response from the kitchen. "We didn't wait for you. Didn't you say you were right behind me when I left the Tower?"

Naruto toed off his shoes and dropped his hat on the low table by the entrance. "I was. But I kind of got sidetracked."

Running his free hand through his hair, he walked toward the kitchen. Damn, but he hated that stupid hat. He shouldn't have let Kakashi goad him into swearing he'd wear it. He stopped just before the door and watched Sasuke at the other end of the kitchen for a minute. He knew he was going to get in trouble for this. He'd known before he'd even made the decision. He also knew it was the right decision, and Sasuke would see that. Eventually, he would.

Sasuke finally turned around, his mouth already opened to say something. He blinked when he saw the child asleep in Naruto's arms, her head resting against his shoulder.

"Naruto?" he said, frowning lightly.

"This is Misaki," Naruto said with a hesitant smile. "She's four. Her father died in a mission last spring. And her mother died the same way two days ago."

Sasuke sighed. "Naruto…"

Misaki stirred in Naruto's arms. She woke up and rubbed sleep out of her eyes with her fists.

"Oh, there she goes," Naruto said, patting her back gently. "Had a nice nap, Misaki-chan? This is Sasuke. Remember how I told you about him? Can you say hi to him?"

She waved her fingers at Sasuke, giving him a shy half-smile. "Hello, Sasuke-san."

Naruto gave her a big grin. "See how polite she is? Perfect little girl."

He tickled her and she giggled, squirming until he put her down. Just then, a flash of black hair ran past Naruto and went to hide behind Sasuke's legs while Misaki was hiding behind him. Naruto watched as Sasuke's hand came down to stroke Isas' hair, and that simple yet telling gesture gave him hope. Sasuke had been reluctant about Isas, too, at first.

"Isas-chan, this is Misaki. Will you show her your room? I need to talk to Sasuke for a minute."

A little hesitant, Isas came to stand in front of Naruto and held out his hand toward Misaki.

"Hi, Misaki-chan. I'm Uchiha Isas. Do you want to see my room?"

Misaki looked up at Naruto and he gave her an encouraging nod. Smiling shyly, she took Isas' hand and they slipped out of the kitchen.

On the other side of the table, Sasuke crossed his arms. "So our lives aren't complicated enough for you?"

Naruto came forward and sat at the table with a light groan. It had been a long day. It had been a long day even before he had heard the report from the team of Misaki's mother.

"She's got no one else," he said quietly, looking up to meet Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke expression didn't change. "We both have duties."

"And one of mine is to take care of Konoha. Everyone in Konoha."

They'd had this discussion before, and Sasuke had learned it was useless to argue about this particular point. Sitting across from Naruto, he changed his angle of attack.

"So what, we're going to run an orphanage?"

Naruto grimaced. "Hell, no. Those places are awful."

Sasuke stared at him, and he was silent for a few seconds. Although his eyes remained black, Naruto had the unpleasant feeling he was under the scrutiny of the sharingan.

"You never told me," Sasuke said, almost accusing.

"I haven't thought about it in a long time," Naruto replied with a shrug. "I got out of there as soon as they let me. They weren't exactly sad to see me go."

"It wouldn't be the same for her," Sasuke argued, more gently, maybe, than he would have moments earlier. "They wouldn't be scared like brainless idiots."

"Maybe. Maybe they just wouldn't care."

Sasuke sighed. "Naruto…Come on. We can't just take in every kid whose parents die on a mission."

Annoyed, Naruto stood and stretched, locking his hands at the back of his head. They weren't talking about every child in Konoha. They were talking about one little girl who had watched him with huge, frightened eyes when he had picked her up from her babysitter to tell her that her mother wouldn't come back.

"Don't tell me Isas or Misaki would be fine growing up without someone who actually cares about them, Sasuke. Don't tell me I was. And don't you fucking try to tell me you were."

Without waiting for Sasuke's answer, he walked out of the kitchen and went to Isas' bedroom, stopping to lean against the wall next to the door and listen in.

"Don't you have a mommy?" Misaki was asking, her voice trembling.

Sasuke joined him and, arms crossed, leaned against the wall facing him.

"I did," Isas replied. "She died."

Sasuke's features hardened.

"My mommy died, too."

Misaki sounded like she was crying. Naruto started pushing away from the wall, ready to walk in, but Sasuke stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and a slight shake of his head.

"Don't cry," Isas said gently. "It'll be ok."

"But the bad people killed my daddy. And now they killed my mommy, too. What if they come to kill me?"

Something twisted inside Naruto. There were few words he hated to hear as much as these. If a Konoha child was scared, it simply meant he hadn't done a good enough job.

Sasuke's hand tightened on his shoulder and he mouthed the words, "Not your fault" even as Isas said, "Do you know how to throw a kunai?"

"No."

"I do." Isas sounded proud now, and older than his five years of age. "Father taught me. He can teach you, too. And until he does, I will protect you. And Father will, too. And Dad also. He's the Hokage. He's very important. And very strong."

"Naruto-sama is nice. He took me to have ramen."

Naruto beamed. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Sasuke-san is nice, too."

"He looks scary."

"He does, but he's just pretending. He's really very nice."

This time, Sasuke huffed while Naruto snickered. "Told you you weren't fooling anyone," he murmured.

"You're an idiot."

"I'm an idiot who's helping repopulate your clan."

Yet again, Sasuke rolled his eyes. Naruto had told him more than once he'd end up hurting himself doing that.

"I'll clean up my parents' house tomorrow," Sasuke muttered, looking away. "That way, they can each have their own room."

Reaching out, Naruto curled his fingers at the back of Sasuke's neck and drew him forward. He didn't have time to do more than brush his lips against Sasuke's before the twin "Eww!" resounded at their side.

…

After two weeks away from Konoha, their return promised to be very busy, Sasuke thought when they crossed the border. He'd have a lot to do in the Tower to catch up on paperwork. If he waited for Naruto to get around to doing it on his own, the backlog would still be there the next time they visited Suna. Naruto was a good Hokage when it came to actually doing things, but the administrative aspects of the job never kept his attention for very long. Sasuke had often wondered in the past decade or so what Naruto's tenure as Hokage would have been like if he hadn't had a secretary who didn't hesitate to offer sexual favors – or threaten to withhold them – to get Naruto to do the necessary paperwork in a timely manner.

The work in the Tower wasn't what mattered most, though. They'd never left the kids alone before, and although Juugo had moved in to look over them while Naruto and Sasuke were gone, Sasuke hadn't stopped worrying the entire time. Isas and Misaki both took the honor of the Uchiha name a bit too seriously, at times. Isas had graduated from the academy at the top of his class, and he was as impatient to get missions above D-level as Naruto and Sasuke had been, what seemed like a couple of lifetimes ago. As for Misaki, she could not wait to become a genin, and they often had trouble stopping her from over-exerting herself. He hoped Juugo had kept a close eye on her. And on Dai, too. She was only three years old, after all, and she probably didn't understand why Sasuke wasn't the one to pick her up from the baby-sitter anymore, or why Naruto wasn't the one who woke her up and made her breakfast in the morning. Yes, the work at the Tower would definitely have to wait until they checked on the kids and made sure—

"Still pouting, huh?" Naruto said abruptly, falling into step next to him. "I told you that you had no reason to be jealous."

Sasuke snorted. "I'm not _pouting_," he said, spitting out the word as though it were venom. Naruto had the strangest ideas, at times. Like deciding that two Kages sparring together was a good thing. "And the day I'm jealous of Gaara is the day I become a priest. If you must know, I was thinking of the kids."

Naruto chuckled. "Juugo sent a message just two days ago! They're fine!"

"A lot could have happened in two days."

"They're fine," Naruto repeated, shaking his head indulgently. "And you're really going to be a pain when they start going on missions out of the village."

Sasuke scowled at him, but he refrained from pointing out that Naruto was the one who kept making sure Isas' team only received missions that took place inside the walls of Konoha. Sooner or later, Isas would realize that, and then Sasuke would be the one laughing.

Naruto fell back a little, and Sasuke heard him argue with the leader of the ANBU team that accompanied them, although he couldn't make out the words. After a little while, the ANBU gave up. Moments later, Sasuke realized that he and Naruto were now alone, with their guards nowhere to be seen. It had been seven years since he had last worn an ANBU mask, but all his instincts were screaming at him that this was wrong and unnecessarily dangerous.

"What's going on?" he asked, slowing down and falling into step with Naruto.

"Nothing, just follow me."

With that, Naruto picked up speed, refusing to reply anymore when Sasuke called after him. It wasn't long before Sasuke realized where they were going, and not much longer after that before they reached the Valley of the End. He stopped by the edge of the water and looked at the waterfall in front of them, memories he had thought long forgotten suddenly cascading through his mind. Some of them were bitter, and he'd rather have forgotten them. The rest had led him to where he was today – standing at Naruto's side in all possible ways.

"Why?" he asked simply.

Naruto dropped his hat along with his formal robes as he answered. "Because you beat me once here, and you let me win the second time. I want a rematch. I've wanted a rematch for close to fifteen years, actually."

"And we've fought just about every other day during those fifteen years," Sasuke pointed out. "You've beaten me plenty of times."

Naruto shook his head, though he was grinning. "We were sparring. That's different."

"You want to actually fight?" Sasuke asked, unsure – or afraid – he understood correctly.

Arms stretched high above his head, Naruto chuckled. "Wouldn't you, if I had beaten you?"

Sasuke didn't dispute that. It was irrelevant. What mattered was that this was an incredibly stupid idea. Then again, coming from Naruto, what had he expected?

"You didn't tell the ANBU this was what you planned, did you? They'd never have let you go through with this."

Naruto's chuckle turned into full-out laughter, and a flock of birds took flight from nearby trees. "I told them I wanted to fuck you," he confided, his eyes sparkling.

"You wish," Sasuke said dryly. "It's my turn, dobe-sama."

The reminder didn't seem to put off Naruto. "Fine. You can fuck me after I beat you."

"Don't be ridiculous. No way you'd win if we fought. But we won't, because I don't want to hurt you."

Naruto didn't even argue. Grin still firmly in place, he asked, "But you do want to fuck me, don't you?"

Sasuke was beginning to see where this was going, and he couldn't say he liked it. Not in the least.

"Naruto—" he started warningly, but Naruto quickly cut in.

"You're not touching me until we have that fight."

Stepping closer to glare all the more threateningly, Sasuke crossed his arms. "Ultimatums, now? What are you, twelve? I can't believe—"

This time, Naruto shut him up with a kiss. He cupped Sasuke's face with both hands and crushed their mouths together, slipping his tongue past Sasuke's lips when Sasuke tried to protest. Their tongues battled for a moment and Naruto even nipped at Sasuke's bottom lip before pulling back, grinning widely and just a little out of breath.

"I mean it, bastard. I'm not saying you should put your hand through my chest, but if you do, I promise not to have you thrown in jail."

Sasuke stared at him, his eyes wide and just a little incredulous. "You're insane." Still shaking his head in disbelief, he pulled off his travel coat. "And I must be insane, too," he concluded.

Concentrating chakra to the bottom of his feet, he stepped onto the lake formed by the waterfall. This technique, he remembered with a sudden burst of nostalgia, they'd learned together, though they'd practiced climbing trees, not walking on water. They'd come a long way since then, changed in many ways, they'd grown up to fulfill their dreams though, in Sasuke's case, in much different ways than he had expected. One thing hadn't changed, though. They may be partners, but they also were rivals – they had been both things from the very first day of Team Seven.

He turned to face Naruto, and couldn't help smirking at him.

"Ready to be dead last again?"

He didn't wait for Naruto to answer before launching his first attack.

_**The End**_

_A/N: To answer a question that popped up in reviews, yes, this story is finished. If you want more, check out the series of ficlets. Never Change._

_Last A/N: One last chance for me to thank Kantayra for introducing me to this fandom, inspiring this fic and beta'ing it. One last chance also to thank everyone who cared enough to review; please believe that your support was very much appreciated. And one last chance to ask it yet again, especially from all the lurkers out there... __**Please review?**_


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